Much to Teach, More to Learn
by cr8vgrl
Summary: She was the overlooked one of the family, the "plain one of the bunch." He was now the "second-rate" dance teacher trying to win a bet. He taught her the dance moves. She taught him the passion.
1. Betrayal by Mail, Interenet and Friend

**A/N: Although Soulbinder won the poll, it hasn't gotten many views, so I decided to do this fic as well to give you guys something to read. I own nothing, as usual, but I hope you enjoy it!! :D**

Nate Grey was tired. He was exhausted. He was every single negative adjective in the English language at the moment. Most of all, he was betrayed. He stared first at the computer screen in front of him and then at the letter sitting in his lap. How had this happened? How could he do that to him?

Nate's hands clenched into fists as his eyes actually focused once again on the words plastered all across the internet. This was the worst thing that had happened to him since…well, let's just say for a very long time.

_**"News came out just today that former Worlds dance champion Tyler O' Connor has come out with a breathtaking new show. Upon seeing a demonstration of his new project, funding was immediately given and a tour has been set up.**_

_**When asked about his sudden inspiration, the Worlds champion told us, "My inspiration's from my good friend, Nate Grey. He's done more for me, and this show, than you realize."**_

_**The friend in question, Nate Grey, was a two-time Worlds champion who bonded with Tyler O' Conner during his first trip to Ireland for the Worlds championships, which are held over Easter week. Nate Grey is said to be an amazing dancer as well as a musician, but for now, the world is focusing on Tyler O' Connor. **_

_**When asked about his friend, and the show that Nate has previously hinted about, Tyler could only shrug and tell us, "I have a feeling that his show will take a while to come up with, though Nate has the most amazing ideas. Watch out for him. He'll take the world by storm when he gets everything set up the way he wants it."**_

_**Tyler is also said to have hired many of the dancers that Nate Grey normally uses in his small shows because they are "the best out there." **_

_**Everyone here wishes Mr. O' Connor the best of Irish luck. Note: Tour dates are being scheduled even now, and tickets will go on sale soon." **_The article was his doom.

"_Pretend it's not happening. Pretend it's not happening," _Nate told himself, unable to tear his eyes away from the screen.

With desperation, he clicked his mouse over the tab bar and went straight to Youtube to look for the teaser footage of Tyler's new show. When the video finally loaded, having taken quite a while due to all the viewers, Nate's heart sank.

That was _his_ music playing in the background. That was _his_ costume that Tyler was wearing. Those were _his_ steps that Tyler was dancing on the stage, making them look so effortless as he smiled at the news crew. He'd been the inspiration, all right. He'd been the one that had come up with every single step. "No," Nate said, and he couldn't help remembering the day he had told Tyler of his plans.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

"_Pass me my water bottle," Tyler huffed, pressing his hands into his sides and breathing hard._

_Nate, who was closer to the refreshing drink, tossed the bottle the short distance to his friend. He took a long swig himself and sighed. "That was the best bottle of water ever," he teased, holding up his now empty bottle._

_Tyler shook his head. "No, this is," he told Nate, hold up his own rapidly emptying bottle._

"_Whatever." Nate rolled his eyes and lay down on the synthetic floor, willing his lungs to take oxygen into them faster._

"_So how's that show coming along?" Tyler asked, leaning against the wall and watching his friend huff and puff._

_Nate shrugged. "It's fine, I guess. Want to see what I've come up with?"_

_Tyler laughed at Nate's eager face. "Nate, we just finished dancing our hearts out and you want to dance again?"_

_Nate shrugged. "Why not?" he asked._

_Tyler shook his head. "No real reason. Just thought you might want to give it, oh, an hour or so!"_

_Nate shook his head. "I don't mind." He walked over to the stereo and cued his iPod to the list of songs that he had come up with himself. For the next two hours, he went through the dances for his friend, stopping only when he needed to rest and to take a drink of water._

_When he had finally finished, his legs ached, his back ached, and he was sure that he was pretty low on sugar, but he was so happy that he couldn't be bothered with stuff like that. After all, Tyler was smiling. Tyler was approving._

"_That's awesome, Nate!" Tyler said, clapping when his friend finished with his final bow. "You came up with all that music by yourself?"_

_Nate shrugged modestly. "Shane and Jason helped me," he told Tyler, reaching for another water bottle. As much as he loved to dance, as much as dancing was his life (right along with music) he knew that he was going to pass out if he didn't drink something quickly._

"_I've never seen anything like it!" Tyler went on, shaking his head. "Could I download those tracks? They were awesome! I could use them for my classes." Tyler taught several rich kids in a private studio during his free time._

_Nate nodded, smiling. "Sure," he said. "There's definitely going to be more going on, more dancers and stuff, but you got the general idea."_

"_How long do you think it'll take you to put all that together and get a tour signed off?" Tyler asked, and Nate noticed that his friend seemed calculating, thoughtful in a way._

_He shrugged. "I'm not sure. The rest of my dancers and I are aiming to present the idea a month from today. We think everything will be ready to go by then."_

_Tyler patted his friend on the back as they moved to take off their shoes and leave. "You'd better get that to the board, or else someone might steal your spot."_

* * *

Nate roughly shook the memory away. He didn't want to remember the time, just a month and a day ago, that he and Tyler had been friends. He looked away from the computer and glanced back down at the letter sitting in his lap. He picked it up and read it over again, part of him not believing the words on it.

**I told you to get going on this project**, it said. **I waited exactly a month and a day for you to present it. Now, that spot's mine. Thanks for everything, Tyler O' Conner**

Nate had given him the music, never dreaming that he would use it against him. He had shown Tyler the basic idea of the steps, and as any good Irish dancer would do, Tyler had picked them up from that one meeting. Now, the show was Tyler's, and Nate had one less friend.

As he stared back at the screen, Nate knew that one thing was certain.

He would never dance again.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Please review, guys! :)**


	2. Bored of Football

"Hike!"

Caitlyn Gellar rolled her eyes as she watched both lines of high school boy surge towards each other after the stupid, pigskin ball had been snapped. Football. The bane of her life. She tucked her legs firmly under her body, shifting in vain to try and find a more comfortable position on the hard metal bleachers.

"Gellar!" someone called, and instinctively, Caitlyn looked up. So did four of the players on the field. The coach sighed. "Zack Gellar," he clarified. Three heads went down and Zack shifted from one foot to the other.

Caitlyn didn't wait to hear just what breach of conduct Zack had performed, because in truth, she didn't care. Football had ruined her life. Her father had played football in high school and college, her mother had been a star softball player, and now all four of her brothers played football, leaving Caitlyn as the only person without an athletic ability. She knew that it was _because_ of her lack of interest in sports that her family excluded her, but she couldn't be bothered with trying to learn anything. Music was her life.

"Hey, Caitlyn," someone said, and Caitlyn turned to find the principle of her school smiling at her at the bottom of the bleachers.

"Hi, Mrs. MacCarty," Caitlyn said pleasantly. Mrs. MacCarty had always been nice to her, and had let a few infractions slide with only a warning. She was the only one at school that seemed even remotely interested in Caitlyn's well-being, and that concern often found her trying to climb up the bleachers in her stiff skirt to chat with Caitlyn, as she was doing right now.

Mrs. MacCarty finally managed to get up to the row of bleachers that Caitlyn was sitting on, and sat down next to the girl, slightly out of breath. She smiled and gave Caitlyn a small hug before looking out over the field of football practice. "The team's looking pretty good," she remarked teasingly.

Caitlyn made a sarcastic loop with her finger. "Big whoop," she said darkly. "I can't wait until football season's over again."

Mrs. MacCarty glanced at her understandingly. Caitlyn's parents would not allow her to drive yet, claiming that the boys' insurance was all they could pay, so Caitlyn had to stay during their practices. To make it worse, no city or school bus passed close enough to her house to allow her to walk. "Just three more months," Mrs. MacCarty told Caitlyn in an attempt to cheer her up.

"Yeah, I know, but I still hate that they've cost me so much time over the year," Caitlyn said darkly. She hated feeling so constantly left out, and she hated that football season stole so much of her music mixing time.

Mrs. MacCarty, who had heard every single reason why Caitlyn hated football, gazed at her pupil calmly for a moment, and then an idea struck her. She nonchalantly asked, "And what would you do, besides mixing your music, if you had the time and could get away from practice?"

Caitlyn snorted. "Anything," she told her principle.

Mrs. MacCarty smiled and asked, "Could you be a tad bit more specific?"

Caitlyn paused for a moment, thinking. What _would_ she want to do if she couldn't have her music? She was horrible at art, and couldn't paint to save her life. She couldn't knit, sew, crochet, or anything. She didn't have the patience for needlepoint, and she couldn't stand chess, so the chess club was out. She loved to read, but not enough to be a part of some of the study groups at school, and the orchestra at school already had a piano player.

"I guess I'd want to dance," she said after much thought. "That's the only thing I can think of that I might be remotely good at."

Mrs. MacCarty grinned, but then quickly concealed her smile. "And what kind of dancing would you like to do?"

Caitlyn shrugged. "Any type, I guess, except for ballet. Too much classical music for my liking." She made a face. "However, it doesn't matter. My parents would never let me take dance classes."

Mrs. MacCarty frowned. "Why not?" she asked. What was wrong with dancing?

Caitlyn sighed and looked out over the field, watching the practice. "My mom might go for it, but my dad would never let me. He wants me to play a sport, any sport. Dancing isn't in his plans for me." Caitlyn smiled, but the action was more of a grimace than a smile. "Max was born two minutes before me, and dad was sure that he was going to have two boys. I think he was disappointed when he found out that I was a girl."

Mrs. MacCarty shook her head. "I'm sure that's not the case," she assured Caitlyn. "A father gets wrapped around his little girl's finger the minute she's handed to him."

It was Caitlyn's turn to shake her head. That analogy sounded like a fairytale world to her. "Not my father." She shrugged and tossed her chestnut hair away from her face. "It doesn't matter," she told her principle.

Mrs. MacCarty nodded. "Yes it does," she said. "Caitlyn, I've known you long enough to know that every time you toss your hair, you're covering up some kind of feeling. Now, you say you don't care, but I think you do. Am I right?"

Caitlyn thought about denying it, to tell her principle that she was wrong, but then she sighed. Mrs. MacCarty truly did know her better than anyone else. "I'm just so tired of not being good at anything. I want my parents to be just as proud of me as they are of everyone else."

Mrs. MacCarty nodded in understanding. "Well, we'll see," she said, noncommittal.

Caitlyn glanced sharply at her, surprised that she was still thinking about dance classes, but said nothing. Instead, she turned back to watch her brothers, taking keen interest for the first time since practices had begun. She didn't want to talk anymore on the subject of dancing for fear that she might actually start to _want_ to dance.

A whistle blew somewhere and the boys straightened up from their lineups. "That's enough for today," their coach called. "Hit the showers and get out of here. See you tomorrow, bright and early."

The boys walked tiredly towards the locker room, and only Max looked up to wave to his sister. Caitlyn waved back, feeling the familiar rush of affection she felt for her twin. Though their parents had tried to separate them, they insisted on still sharing a room, though there was a lot more privacy now than there used to be. Max was also the only one that took notice of Caitlyn on many occasions. He was the kindest of the Gellar boys, and Caitlyn would have died for her brother if he had needed her to. The rest of her brothers could fend for themselves.

"I'd better go," she told Mrs. MacCarty, quickly standing up and slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Max'll need his inhaler." She saw the question in her principle's eyes and answered, "Mom and dad don't know that he has asthma, so I carry it for him. He doesn't want them thinking he's weak."

Mrs. MacCarty smiled back at her pupil. "You're a good sister, Caitlyn," she said honestly. Caitlyn's methods were not always the way she personally would have handled them, but from what she had seen of the Gellar family, Caitlyn was doing her best.

Caitlyn blushed at the praise, not used to the attention. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said awkwardly.

"Tomorrow," Mrs. MacCarty agreed, looking gleeful and thoughtful at the same time.

As soon as Caitlyn disappeared into the locker room, Mrs. MacCarty whipped out her cell phone and selected her contacts list. She scrolled down to the G section and selected the name she found there, pressing the phone to her ear. When the line at the other end picked up, Mrs. MacCarty smiled.

"Hi, Nate," she said cheerfully. "I have a favor to ask."

* * *

**A/N: In case it wasn't obvious, I don't like football at all. :D (No offense to those who do.) Thank you so much to all of you that have reviewed!! You're amazing, and awesome, and...I don't know what else, but you probably are it! :D LOL! Anyways, hope you liked that chapter, and please review again!!**


	3. The Bet

Nate's heart sank as he listened to his friend talk. He pressed his free hand to his forehead and stifled a groan. "Jean, I'd love to help you out, but I'm not dancing anymore…yes, I know I was dancing when we talked last week, but…no, I'm not working on my show anymore…it's a long story…I'm sorry."

Nate could tell that Jean MacCarty was furious, but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Twenty-four hours ago, he would have happily taken on this girl Jean MacCarty was begging him to teach. Now, he could barely even enter the studio to collect the accounting papers out of his desk without feeling sick. His fingers tightened around the cell phone as his old friend tried to pry out the sordid details of his sudden retirement.

He listened politely as she ranted about the passion he had for the sport, and how that was exactly what this girl-Caitlyn, was it?-needed. Finally, when Jean MacCarty was forced to take a breath, Nate said in a low voice, "That passion's gone. I'd love to help, but the thing is, I'm retiring. Jason and Shane have been asking me for a while to join their band, and I guess I will."

Mrs. MacCarty was just taking another large gulp of air to talk him out of his decision when Nate heard the front door of his studio open and a familiar voice call out, "Hello?"

Nate tensed, and his fingers almost crushed his phone in anger. "Jean, I swear that I'm not blowing you off, but I have to go. I'll call you as soon as I'm done." He ended the call with her in mid-sentence. He stalked to the front of his studio and found the person leaning against his desk.

"Hey, Nate!" Tyler O' Conner said cheerfully, his wide, toothpaste commercial-worthy teeth showing smugly.

"Get out of my studio," Nate said coldly.

Tyler put his hands up as a sign of mock surrender. "Hey," he said coaxingly. "No need to be like that," he said.

"I can be any way I want," Nate growled. "It's my studio. Now get out before I throw you out."

Tyler took a deep breath, and Nate realized that he was pushing his luck. Tyler had the "Irish temper" that Irish people were rumored to have. He was also slightly heavier, and much taller than Nate. In a fight, with no one to back him up, Nate knew that he was going to lose.

"Look," Tyler said commandingly. "I gave you the time you told me you were giving yourself. After that, I took your slot. You have no reason to be upset."

Nate slammed his phone down on the desk, not caring as he heard the plastic crack. The table shook from the force of the blow, and Nate felt slight pain before his rage blocked every nerve-ending feeling but hate out of his mind. "I have _every_ right to be mad! You not only stole my spot, you stole my show!"

Tyler's hands clenched into fists, but he didn't take a step or swing a punch. "You and I both know about the competitiveness in this business. There was one tour spot. I waited for you to fill it because I look up to you, but you didn't, so I did."

"And that would've been fine!" Nate fumed. "I get that part. I probably would've done the same thing, but you stole my show as well! That was my work over the last few years! I put hours upon hours of work into that, getting it just the way I wanted it, and you stole it! _And _you stole my music, too!"

Tyler glared at him, and Nate wished that he knew what his former friend was thinking. He found out soon enough.

"You want it back?" Tyler asked.

Nate looked up, surprised. "Yeah," he answered, a "duh" tone in his voice.

"I'll make you a deal."

Nate snorted. "I'm not making anything with you. Get out."

"Not until you hear me out." Now, Nate remembered just how stubborn Tyler had been.

Nate leaned against his desk and crossed his arms over his chest, giving the appearance of angry nonchalance mixed with a very small amount of interest. "Make it quick," he told Tyler. "I have other things to do."

"Like what?" Tyler scoffed. "Packing up your stuff? Writing some music for your brothers' band? Face it, Nate, all you want to do is dance."

Nate glared at him, angry that he was right. "So what? You going to rub it in now?"

Tyler shook his head. "No. I'm going to make you a deal, a bet of sorts. You use the music you gave me and some of the dancers I took from you, and you make a better show that the one I presented. You do that, and I'll give up the spot."

"What's the catch?" Nate asked warily. He knew Tyler too well to know that his former friend would do anything like this without getting something in return.

"If you fail, you retire completely and I never hear from you again. Same for me if you win." Tyler shrugged. "From the looks of it, you were retiring anyways, so what have you got to lose?"

Nate regarded him very calmly as he said, "Nothing, now that my friend's taken it all from me."

"So we have a deal?" Tyler asked, refusing to acknowledge Nate's last comment.

"We have a bet," Nate said coldly. "How long do I have to pull this off?"

Tyler shrugged. "I meet with the board in three weeks, so how about a month?"

Nate glared angrily at him. "A month? A month to put together a whole show? You're insane. That can't be done."

Tyler turned towards the door and smiled over his shoulder at his old friend. "For some people, no, but for you, it's completely possible. After all, you're the great Nate Grey." He put his designer sunglasses on and nodded to Nate. "I'll send you the dancers I can spare. See you at the board in a month, Nathaniel."

The coldness and the use of his full name chilled Nate more than he cared to admit. Tyler was no longer the young, scared-out-of-his-mind boy he had met at Worlds. He was a cold, ruthless competitor, and Nate had no idea when he had started changing.

"One month."

The words stuck in Nate's throat on the way out. One month to do the impossible. One month to do the impossible with second-rate dancers that Tyler didn't want. Could the world get any worse?

"Yes," he said aloud, slowly stepping onto the synthetic floor and making his way over to the wall length mirrors. He realized suddenly, as he stood staring at his reflection, that he felt absolutely none of the familiar rush of passion that usually greeted him when he stepped onto his stage. There was no passion in his body, no matter how hard he tried to find it. All that was there was an empty, gaping hole of betrayal and loss.

Well, if he was going to have to work with bottom-of-the-barrel dancers, he might as well see what this girl of Jean MacCarty's could do. Maybe he could give her some small role to fill in some space.

He walked back to his desk and reached for his cell phone, only to have the back slide off of it, cracked beyond repair. With a sigh, he reached for the landline and dialed Mrs. MacCarty back. He walked, tapping his foot impatiently while he waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?" she said at the other end.

"Hey, Jean. Sorry about that. I've changed my mind. I'll do it."

**A/N: And there you have it!! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, and PLEASE review and tell me whether you liked it, hated it, and just how much turkey you ate!! LOL!**


	4. Who's in Trouble?

"So how did we look?" Max asked once he could breathe again. He gratefully handed Caitlyn his inhaler, which she quickly stuffed into her messenger bag in case someone should walk by that particular row of lockers, and leaned against his locker.

"Like a bunch of boys trying to knock each other over," Caitlyn said tactlessly.

Max playfully swiped at his sister. "There's more to football than that!" he said, laughing.

"Oh yeah," Caitlyn conceded, pretending to look confused. "There's a ball in there somewhere."

Max grinned and tossed his towel over his sister's head. "You're hopeless," he teased. "No wonder you don't play anything. You simply don't enjoy the delicacies of the sport."

"Delicacies?" Caitlyn snorted, pulling the towel off her head. "There's _nothing_ delicate about guys running into other guys, getting sweaty and injured, all for the sake of some ball." She tossed the towel back to her brother and said, "Actually, I think you guys are all idiots because you're running after a ball that's not even round!"

Max lunged at her, picking her up and flipping her over his shoulder while she screamed for him to put her down. "I'm not an idiot!" he cried, tickling her playfully. "Brent, Zack, and Peter might be idiots, but I'm the quarterback. I'm _above_ idiocy."

"Right," Caitlyn wheezed, striving for her sarcastic voice, but couldn't find it due to her brother's tickling fingers.

"Max," someone said from the end of the locker row. Max instantly stopped tickling his twin and looked up, only to find his brothers standing there, not looking at all amused. "Time to go," Brent told him.

Max thrust his chin out, refusing to be intimidated by his older brothers anymore. He'd spent too many years cowering from them. "Fine," he said. With very little effort, he swung Caitlyn over his other shoulder and picked up his bag, slinging it over his empty shoulder. "Let's go."

The five siblings made their way out of the locker room, Caitlyn still slung over Max's shoulder even though she threatened him in every possible manner. She pounded playfully on his back, knowing that no good would come out of her actions. Three growth spurts in the last year had sent Max shooting up so that he now towered over her, and he was much heavier as well. He was still thin, but he was almost all muscle, and Caitlyn could not compete with that.

They reached their van and piled in, Max and Caitlyn getting pushed roughly into the back as usual. "That's my face, Peter," Caitlyn growled as her brother's elbow clipped her cheek.

"Sorry," Peter mumbled, his attention already captured by a football magazine he had pulled out of his backpack.

"You okay?" Max asked, turning her face gently towards him so that he could see if she was hurt.

"I'm fine," she said, brushing his worrying aside.

"I saw Mrs. MacCarty talking to you," Max said in an effort to change the subject. "What'd she have to say?"

At his words, Caitlyn felt a surge of discontentment rise up inside of her. Her conversation with the principal came rushing back to her, reminding her of what she was missing out on. Darn Mrs. MacCarty for putting the idea of dancing into her head! Now, she wanted what she could never have.

"Caitlyn?" Max asked quietly.

Caitlyn shook her head. "Sorry, spaced off there." She shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. "Not much. She was just agreeing with me that all people that play football are idiots." She grinned at Max and he rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"All people that _don't_ play football are idiots," Brent muttered from the middle seat.

Max opened his mouth to defend his sister's playful remark, but Caitlyn piped up and said, "Oh yeah? Well, does your girlfriend play football? Not the last time I checked."

Brent turned around to fix her with a challenging look. "Well you obviously haven't checked in a while. I talked her into playing flag football on the girls' team at school."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and muttered, "Well isn't everything right in _your_ little world." Brent ignored her sarcasm and focused on his playbook.

Max shrugged and Caitlyn began looking forward to getting home so that she could get away from her brothers and go scream in a pillow. Seriously, did they care about nothing but football? She waited eagerly for Zack to turn onto their street, parking in front of their house. She was the first one out, "accidentally" elbowing Peter as she breezed past him, her tiny frame allowing her to slip past her brothers' bulks.

As she yanked the house key from the chain around her neck, Caitlyn ran up the walk and grabbed the mail, slipping in under her arm as she jammed the key into the slot and turned it. As expected, the house was empty upon her arrival. Both her parents were at work and would be home in three hours. It was normally her job to make a mid afternoon snack for her brothers after their practice, but she felt like doing anything to them but helping.

As though sensing this, Max set his backpack down on the closest chair and gave her a gentle push in the small of her back. "I'll do snack duty today," he told her. "Go take a shower, scream, do whatever you feel like doing, just keep it down, okay?" His loving grin overrode his words.

"Thanks," Caitlyn said with appreciation. She jogged up the stairs to her room and shut the door, covering her face with a pillow and screaming for a full minute before she felt better. Satisfied that she wasn't going to kill anyone, Caitlyn pulled off her school clothes and took a hot shower.

When she had finished, Caitlyn pulled out a pair of her favorite pajamas and slipped into them, relishing the feeling of the soft flannel against her skin. Once she had slipped socks onto her feet, Caitlyn went downstairs and slid onto one of the island barstools where a plate with a turkey sandwich and chips sat. "Thanks, Max," she said appreciatively.

He nodded, busily bent over another sandwich. "Would you like anything else on it?" he asked.

Caitlyn frowned, confused. "Um, no thanks. One sandwich's fine, Max. I don't eat like you guys, or else I'd look like you guys."

Max smirked up at her. "I wasn't talking to you," he said to her. He looked over Caitlyn's shoulder at someone, and Caitlyn turned to see who he was looking at.

"Oh!" Caitlyn cried, jumping in surprise. Mrs. MacCarty sat in one of the chairs in their living room, smiling back at her.

"Hello, Caitlyn," her principal said, standing. "And no thank you, Max. Turkey and lettuce is fine, thank you."

Max nodded and finished fixing his principal's plate, setting it in front of her as she took a seat next to Caitlyn. "Chips?" he asked, holding up the bag.

"Yes, thanks," Mrs. MacCarty said pleasantly. Once Max had poured the chips and had taken a seat across from them at the island, Mrs. MacCarty spoke. "I'm here to speak with your parents," she told them.

"Who did what?" Caitlyn asked with a tight smile, mentally reviewing everything she might have done in the last month.

Mrs. MacCarty smiled at her. "That's my secret," she said, a twinkle in her eyes.

* * *

Two and a half hours later, when Mr. and Mrs. Gellar walked through the door, they were met with five pairs of anxious eyes. "What's wrong?" Mrs. Gellar asked worriedly.

Everyone turned to the woman sitting in the chair, waiting to see which one of them had committed a crime. Mrs. MacCarty stood slowly from her chair and said carefully, "Mr. and Mrs. Gellar, I'm here about your daughter, Caitlyn."

**A/N: Uh oh! JK! Hope you enjoyed it, please review!!! :D**


	5. Caitlyn's Condition

"Me!" Caitlyn cried, having half expected Mrs. MacCarty to be visiting her parents because of her brothers. She distinctly remembered Brent painting something rather interesting on the locker room lockers….

Mrs. MacCarty barely looked at her as she motioned to the two chairs that the Gellar kids had left open for their parents to sit in once they had arrived from work. "Please have a seat, Mr. and Mrs. Gellar. Normally, I would wait to have a formal meeting in my office, but Caitlyn's a rather special case, and your house was on my way home. I sincerely hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Mrs. Gellar assured the principal, looking slightly ruffled as she did so, and motioned for her husband to sit down. Caitlyn frowned, realizing that something in Mrs. MacCarty's "sincere" little speech did not make sense.

"What has Caitlyn done wrong?" Mr. Gellar asked as soon as he sat down, trying very hard not to look at Caitlyn, who was twitching in her chair and trying very hard not to start screaming about injustices imparted to her by this family.

Mrs. MacCarty shrugged, appearing slightly disinterested. "Nothing, really," she hedged.

"Mrs. MacCarty," Mrs. Gellar said, slightly worried, "We know that there must be something wrong if you're making a trip out to see us."

"Yeah," Max said aloud, and then his eyes widened at his mistake and he blushed, snapping his mouth closed.

Mrs. MacCarty did not reprimand him. She simply folded her hands in her lap and sighed. "I've had some concerned remarks about Caitlyn's behavior in classes from her teachers," she said.

"Behavior?" Mrs. Gellar asked.

"From the teachers?" Mr. Gellar asked at the same time.

Brent cleared his throat. "If we aren't in on the conversation," he said, "can we go?" He motioned to Peter, Zack, and Max. Caitlyn suppressed a glare. Traitor.

Mrs. MacCarty, surprisingly, answered for Caitlyn's parents. "I'd prefer if you all stayed to hear what I have to say," she said calmly. "This is sort of like a family discussion."

Brent sat back sulkily and didn't say another word. Though Caitlyn was, in essence, the problem, she felt a surge of satisfaction wash over her. Sucker.

"Caitlyn hasn't been misbehaving," Mrs. MacCarty warned Caitlyn's parents. "But her teachers have noticed a listlessness about her that comes from a lack of attention."

"Now if you think-" Mrs. Gellar began, rising indignantly out of her chair, but Mrs. MacCarty stopped her.

"I am not insinuating anything about your parenting skills, Mr. and Mrs. Gellar," she assured the couple. "I am not even here to get Caitlyn in trouble, or to cause a rift among your family. I am simply addressing a few teachers' concerns by suggesting that you engage Caitlyn in some extracurricular activities."

"What?" Mr. Gellar asked, shocked.

"What?" Caitlyn squeaked out at the same time. Had it not been just a few hours ago that she had so pointedly said that she wanted nothing to do with sports? Did anyone in her life ever listen to her? And her teachers complaining? When had her teachers ever complained about her? Ever mentioned her at all? As far as Caitlyn knew, she was a solid, straight-A student that made no noise and slid under the radar in every aspect.

"You mean like sports?" Mr. Gellar asked excitedly. Caitlyn hadn't seen him this excited since the last football game on Friday.

Mrs. MacCarty shook her head. "Our therapist at the school believes that putting Caitlyn into a sport would only further her listlessness and provide her with opportunities to experience anger and competition at a very unhealthy level at this point." Caitlyn blinked. She knew that if she thought hard enough, that sentence would make sense. And the school had a therapist? Really?

Mrs. Gellar actually looked alarmed, and kept looking at Caitlyn as though her daughter might implode any moment from the stress and anger apparently wrapped up inside of her. "What do you suggest?" she asked nervously. "Is there something we can do?"

Mrs. MacCarty actually looked bored. "Well, there _is_ one activity that our therapist suggested…" she hedged once again.

"What?" Mr. and Mrs. Gellar asked at the same time.

"He seems to believe that a certain type of dance would be appropriate."

Caitlyn's eyes grew wide and she stared at Mrs. MacCarty. No. Way. The woman had actually said the "D" word in their house. May God have mercy on her soul. Caitlyn nervously flittered her eyes over to see how her parents were taking it. Her mom sucked in a breath, but then she let it out with an understanding nod. If that's what it would take to set her wayward child back on course, than apparently so be it.

Caitlyn's father was a different story entirely. His face was white, and for a moment, Caitlyn was afraid that he might pass out. "Dance." That one word had astonishment, and perhaps a bit of curiosity in it. "Dance will really help her?" His nose wrinkled. "Like hip hop?"

Mrs. MacCarty shook her head impatiently. "No, hip hop is too new of a dance style to encourage focus and the correct balance of concentration." She said the words stiffly, as thought she really believed them, but the corner of her mouth twitched ever so slightly, as though she was thinking of an inside joke. "I believe Irish dance offers the only proportionate balance for your daughter's condition. I know of someone that specializes in that sort of dance, and would be happy to take your daughter for a trial run tonight." Mrs. MacCarty smiled. "It's very sudden, I know, but the sooner we get started, the sooner Caitlyn will be completely healed.

"Go get your bag," Mr. Gellar said, and Caitlyn blinked. Just like that? Just like that, Mrs. MacCarty had convinced her parents that they should not only let her try out dance classes, but had also talked them into believing that she, Caitlyn, had a "condition" that she didn't really have! Right?

After a reassuring look from Max, Caitlyn trudged up to her room and changed out of her warm jammies, upset at the lost of warmth immediately. She heard Mrs. MacCarty call, "Dress in shorts and a T-shirt!" and so she did.

She wasn't sure what she would wear for shoes, so she slipped on flats and slung her school bag over her shoulder so that she looked more like a dancer, whatever they looked like. Her hair had dried, so she flipped it up into a ponytail, and then trudged down the stairs to see her principal shaking hands with her parents.

"I'm so glad we had this talk," Mrs. MacCarty said sweetly. "I'm sure you'll see a great change in your daughter soon."

Caitlyn, not wanting to let out a snide remark, kept her mouth shut as her parents and Max hugged her and said goodbye. "Later," was all she said to Max, and though it sounded like a flippant goodbye, it was actually a promise. She would explain everything to him later. As soon as she figured out what was going on.

Mrs. MacCarty ushered Caitlyn to the door, and Caitlyn had just turned around to close said door when Mrs. MacCarty held up a finger and turned around. "Oh, Mr. Brent Gellar," she said, as though she had almost forgotten something.

All eyes turned to Brent as he shuffled his feet and stared up at his principal worriedly. "Yeah?" he asked.

"You'll be serving detention with Mr. Phillips for that lovely display of art on the lockers," Mrs. MacCarty said. She smiled brightly at everyone else. "Goodbye!"

With that, she ushered Caitlyn into the car.

**A/N: Hope you liked it! I've been grounded and sick, so I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get this to you, but I hope you like it!! PLEASE review! :D It would make me feel better!!**


	6. Irish Dancing

"What was that about?!" Caitlyn fumed once Mrs. MacCarty had pulled away from the Gellar household.

Mrs. MacCarty gave her an impish smile. "Whatever do you mean?" she asked innocently.

Caitlyn gave her a look. "You live on the other side of town. Our house in nowhere _near_ to being on your way home."

Mrs. MacCarty grinned again. "You caught that, huh?" she asked.

Caitlyn shrugged. "Doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure it out," she muttered. She was always uncomfortable around people that were praising or admiring her. In truth, her deduction skills had not been necessary. She'd been over to Mrs. MacCarty's house a couple of times to pick up some missing papers. "What I can't figure out," she went on, "is why you've decided to bypass all my warnings and put me in a dance class."

Mrs. MacCarty stopped at a red light and turned to Caitlyn. "Do you not want to go to a dance class?" she asked. "I only said what I did because it seemed like something you would enjoy."

Immediately, Caitlyn felt embarrassed. "No," she stuttered, "I mean, I do, it's just that I never thought my parents would let me." She turned to Mrs. MacCarty just as the light changed. "And now, on top of it all, you have my parents thinking that I'm some sort of mental nutcase who's feeling left out. You brought my teachers into it! My teachers!"

Mrs. MacCarty looked at her calmly. "Your teachers _have_ talked to me about you," she told Caitlyn. "That was not made up. Some feared only for your wellbeing and asked me if you were getting enough support and attention at home. They said you were very shy and quiet and they feared that it was unhealthy."

Ciatlyn felt surprise flood her emotions. She had always felt like no one paid attention to her. Now, her principal was telling her that her teachers had not only noticed her, but that they were concerned for her! Since when were teachers concerned about non-disruptive students? She asked softly, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

Mrs. MacCarty shrugged. "It never really came up. But after our talk earlier today, I figured that I could use that to my advantage."

Caitlyn grinned, no longer feeling angry. Perhaps this was the opportunity to branch out that she had been looking for. "Sneaky," was all she said.

* * *

They drove in silence for a while, and then Mrs. MacCarty said, "Caitlyn, if you don't want to do this, you don't have to. I didn't mean to overstep my bounds or anything. I just thought that a more…adult push might prompt your parents to let you try something you seemed to want to try."

Mrs. MacCarty turned into a small complex and Caitlyn shook her head. "It's fine," she assured her teacher. "Really. I do want to try it, and I think you were brilliant back there."

Her principal laughed. "Thanks," she said as she parked the car. "Ready?"

Caitlyn sighed. "I guess so." She slung her bag once more over her shoulder and stepped out of the car.

Together, they walked up to the small studio door and Mrs. MacCarty opened it for Caitlyn. She stepped inside the dim room and blinked. The small space in front of her looked very much like an office, but she could just barely see the mirrors lining the wall behind the front room. Caitlyn was struck by how quiet it was. Didn't dance studios usually have music playing? Weren't there usually other dancers milling around?

"Nate!" Mrs. MacCarty called, breaking the quietness of the room.

"Coming!" came a muffled voice, and Caitlyn heard the sound of boxes being pushed away and something cracking. Then, a young man appeared around the corner, running a hand through his curly brown hair.

For a moment, Caitlyn didn't know what to say. When Mrs. MacCarty had said that he was a friend of hers, she had expected a man about her principal's age, not this tall, thin, -dare she say cute?-young man. "Hi," she said lamely, and then cursed herself. Hi? Was that all she could think of?

He nodded absently, having been studying her as well. "Hi," he responded, and Caitlyn breathed a mental sigh of relief when his address came out just as lame as hers had.

Thankfully, Mrs. MacCarty stepped in and took charge. "Nate, this is Caitlyn Gellar, one of my students. Caitlyn, this is Nate Grey. I used to babysit him when he was younger." She winked at Nate and then whispered in a conspiratorial stage whisper, "Oh, the stories I could tell you about _him_!"

Caitlyn smiled widely, as did Nate, but Caitlyn noticed that his smile did not quite meet his eyes. "Nice to meet you, Caitlyn," he said. "But how about you keep those stories to yourself?" he suggested to Mrs. MacCarty. She only laughed, and he motioned for Caitlyn to follow him. "I wanted to take a few moments before the first class got here so that I could work with you." He shrugged. "You know, see where you are, how easily you pick things up. That'll tell me where I can put you."

Caitlyn nodded mutely and followed him onto the floor, turning to face the mirror once she and Nate reached the center. "So, what do I do?" she asked him nervously, not giving him a chance to speak. "I'm warning you that I've never danced before, at least, not an organized dance."

Nate nodded in understanding and then shook his head. "That's not a problem. Let's just start with the warm up." He strode over to the side of the studio and cued some music. Rich, traditional Irish music swelled through the studio, and Caitlyn felt something inside of her swell as well. "Ready?" Nate asked as he joined her.

"Ready," she said.

They began with a slow warm up, stretching out all of the muscles that would be needed for dancing. "You'll be sore tomorrow," Nate warned her, as he showed her how to stretch her hamstrings, "but hopefully, you won't be _as_ sore as you would be if we hadn't stretched."

After they stretched, Nate showed Caitlyn her first step. She watched as he leapt into the air, one leg straight out in front of him and the other tucked under him. He came down, switching his legs at the last moment. "Try that a couple times," he told her, and offered to do it with her.

Together, they advanced on the mirrors in front of them, jumping in tandem. Caitlyn was so excited that she missed the surprised look in Nate's eyes as she jumped up, flinging her leg out and bringing the other one tucked neatly under her body. Her height in the jump almost matched Nate's, seemingly without effort. When they reached the mirror, Caitlyn smiled happily. "How was that?" she asked him.

Nate, still surprised, stared at her for a moment, taking in her flushed cheeks, her wide smile, and the curly chestnut hair that was already coming out of her ponytail. He brought himself quickly out of any wayward thoughts he might have. She was the student he didn't want. He needed to pull it together. He cleared his throat. "That was actually really great," he admitted to her. "Can you do it for me on your own?"

Caitlyn nodded and returned to the middle of the floor, quickly making her way to stand in front of him again. "Right?" she asked, making sure that she had done her steps correctly.

"Perfect," he admitted. "Let's try the next step."

* * *

By the time the rest of the dancers strode into the room, Nate knew exactly what part Caitlyn should play. With her legs lifting so high into the air, and her hair flying around her delighted, flushed face, he knew that he could never put her in the background. Somehow, someway, he would prep her in time for the bet. She could do it. She was obviously a quick learner.

She wouldn't be a "nobody." She would be his leading lady.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this! If any of you are curious about the steps I'm trying to explain, go to Youtube and type in Cry of the Celts. The one I recommend ****is under Feet of Flames. I think you'll like it! Please review, and yes, Krissy, I do a lot of traditional Irish dance, and love it just as much as Caitlyn will! Also, to those of you that believe that Caitlyn might be learning TOO fast, well, this IS fanfiction, but it's entirely possible to learn dances as quickly as she will. Some people just have the talent. Michael Flatley does! :)**


	7. Meeting Jennifer

"Are you serious?"

Caitlyn looked up from where Mrs. MacCarty was helping her slip into an extra pair of dance shoes Nate had found for her. She dusted off the leather and tried to hear what the girl standing in front of Nate, her hands on her hips, was saying.

"It's not a done deal," Nate assured the girl, looking annoyed, "but let's just see what happens."

The girl flipped her hair over her shoulder and whirled away. "Whatever," she muttered, walking back to her group of girls that was anxiously waiting for her.

"_Welcome to the world of dance,"_ Caitlyn thought sarcastically as Mrs. MacCarty laced up the shoes, called ghillies, and tapped her foot to let her know that she could join the other girls, already warming up. "Already?" Caitlyn teased quietly, and Mrs. MacCarty grinned back.

As Caitlyn moved to take her place down the line of girls, one girl actually lifted her face and smiled at Caitlyn. "Hi," she said softly, so that the other girls couldn't hear her. "I'm Jennifer."

"Caitlyn," Caitlyn replied. "Nice to meet you." She peeked at the other girls, and Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about them. They'll learn to get over themselves. I mean, can you smell the desperation in the air?" She made and face, and Caitlyn decided that she liked her very much.

"What desperation?" she asked curiously. Compared to their blondness, their perfect nails, and their tiny little shorts, Caitlyn didn't feel as though she had anything worth being jealous over.

Jennifer smiled at her and took her foot in her hand to stretch out her leg muscles. "You're new, you're pretty, and by the way Nate's looking at you, you must be pretty good."

Caitlyn looked over quickly at Nate and found him watching her, just like Jennifer had said. "But I just started today," she whispered. "I don't even know what I'm doing right now."

Jennifer risked a glance at the other girls, who were now sequestered in their own little group, whispering and making no effort to stretch out anymore. "I wouldn't sell yourself short," she told Caitlyn. "If you're here in this class, Nate sees something in you." She shrugged. "I'm far from the greatest dancer, but if you ever need any help, feel free to ask for it."

Caitlyn smiled at her newfound friend. "Thanks," she whispered just as Nate clapped his hands together.

"Simple warm-ups," he told the class. "Reels. Two at a time." He cued the music, and two girls stepped up.

Caitlyn turned back to Jennifer. "Translation, please?" she joked, having no idea what Nate was talking about.

"Simple warm-ups are supposed to get are muscles loosened up," Jennifer explained. "Reel is the type of dance. Two at a time means two dancers go and when they finish, two more step up."

They were interrupted as the blonde girl stepped up, accompanied by one of her followers. When the music began, the girl launched into a complicated routine, her legs moving so quickly that Caitlyn had a hard time keeping up. Caitlyn bit her lip, praying that such a routine was not expected out of her, and Jennifer answered her unspoken question. "That was _not_ a simple warm-up," she spit out, watching as the girl returned to the line, looking triumphant and barely out of breath.

Nate seemed to sense it as well because he ran a hand through his hair and said, "Tess, just a simple warm-up next time. Don't be stupid and strain yourself." The blonde looked wounded and Jennifer covered up a snort.

"Showoff," she muttered, still trying not to laugh, and pulled Caitlyn off to the side as girl after girl in the large class began the dance. "How well do you pick stuff up?" she asked Caitlyn.

Caitlyn frowned. "Pick stuff up," she repeated. "Like, off the ground?"

Jennifer smiled. "No, I meant how well do you remember steps."

Caitlyn shrugged. "I don't know. Nate said I was a really quick learner, but…" she trailed off and shrugged again.

"Okay," Jennifer said. "Well try this for me." She proceeded to show Caitlyn a series of steps, first walking through each of them slowly and then speeding them up to the proper tempo.

By the time it was their turn, Jennifer looked pleased. "It's not the most complicated thing," she told Caitlyn, "but it'll get you through the warm-up. Don't worry if you forget something. Brush it off."

Caitlyn nodded and nervously stepped up next to Jennifer, waiting for some cue from Nate as to when to start. He counted them off, and then Caitlyn was dancing again, feeling her hair whip around her face, seeing Jennifer grinning and Nate looking shocked as she completed a routine that he had not taught her…And then she slipped. Later, she would have no idea how she did it, but one minute she was flinging her legs into the air and the next, her arms were wildly flying out to keep her from landing on the floor.

"It's okay," Nate called over the music, noticing Caitlyn's blushing face and the smug look on Tess's face behind her.

Jennifer let out a loud "Oof!" as she slipped and flopped to the floor, quickly standing up and shrugging at Nate's questioning glance. "Slipped," she muttered, trying to appear as though her slip had not been on purpose. She gave Caitlyn a wink, and they both stood to the side as other girls began their routines.

Thanks," Caitlyn told Jennifer in a soft whisper, watching as two of Tess's followers began their warm-ups.

Jennifer shrugged. "No problem. It's happened to everyone when they start, even Tess Tyler." She nodded toward the blonde, and Caitlyn couldn't help but feel better.

"As long as it's not just me," she told Jennifer.

"Hardly. Don't worry about Tess. Just do your own thing." Jennifer winked. "That's the easiest way to tick her off."

And then they were laughing together, leaning against the wall for support. Caitlyn had a large grin stretched across her face, and in that moment she decided that she didn't mind dance class at all. In fact, she rather liked it!

**A/N: This week has been SOOO busy! Sorry to keep you guys waiting so long, but here you go, and I hope you all enjoyed this. Please review, it'll make my week. :D**


	8. Our Little Secret

**A/N: Enjoy! :)**

After the long dance class, Mrs. MacCarty dropped Caitlyn off at the Gellar household, sweaty and tired. Caitlyn thanked her profusely before skipping up the sidewalk and then slowing her steps when she reached the front door. She pulled her key out of her bag and unlocked the door, slipping inside only to find her parents and brothers sitting around the television, watching-surprise!- a football game.

"Hi," Caitlyn said darkly, already beginning to feel the stirrings of loneliness as she once again felt left out. Suddenly, the new world that had just opened for her dimmed slightly.

Her parents tore their attention away long enough to run their eyes over her sweaty form, no doubt expecting to see some great change that must have come over her. Were they expecting her "problem" to have dissipated after only one dance class?

"Hi darling," her mom said hesitantly. "How was it?"

"Fine," Caitlyn said with a casual shrug. "I'm going to take a shower."

She trudged upstairs and slipped into the bathroom, twisting the knob hard so that steaming hot water poured down on her, soothing her muscles and washing all the sweat off her body. She lathered on the shampoo and conditioner, and then washed from head to toe before rinsing and shutting off the water with a sigh. She grabbed a nearby towel and wrapped it securely around her body before heading back to her room.

* * *

She shut the door and sighed, turning around and letting out a gasp when she found Max leaning casually against the wall by his bed, reading a book. He looked up and smiled at her. "Hey," he said, and shut his book, not even marking the page.

"Hi. You scared me," Caitlyn told him as she headed to her side of the room to find the pajamas that she had changed out of earlier. "Why aren't you downstairs watching the game? I could've dropped my towel right when I walked through the door." Her tone was teasing, and Max only raised an eyebrow.

"Right," he told her. "You know better than that, and besides, it's not like I haven't seen it all before. Remember all those years skinny dipping together?"

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "That was eons ago," she told him, successfully finding her brush and dragging it through her hair.

"Last year wasn't," Max said with a laugh, remembering the family trip up to the woods where they had a lake to themselves and had forgotten to pack anything worthy of swimming, and then waved off Caitlyn's smart retort. "We're family. You're my twin, my other half. Neither one of us really cares," he said, stating the obvious. He threw a sock at her and added, "And as for my not watching the game, I came up to see how class went, and I mean really went. Don't tell me that it was just 'fine' like you told mom and dad. That doesn't work on me." He pretended to glare sharply at her, but in reality, she knew that he simply wanted her to share her feelings with him like he did so many times with her.

Caitlyn laughed, relieved that she could talk to someone, and told Max every detail that had happened at class, including an explanation about Mrs. MacCarty's visit and story. Unlike her family, he listened attentively, grinning the whole time. When she finally managed to pause long enough to get dressed, Max went downstairs to get some water for both of them and then came back up to find Caitlyn curled up on her bed, almost falling asleep.

"So you like it then," Max concluded, plopping down next to her and handing her a glass of water.

Caitlyn nodded. "Mmhmm," she murmured, her voice vibrating inside the cup as she drank gulp after gulp.

Max grinned at her and then said casually, "Mom and dad are worried about you and your behavior." His face softened slightly and he asked, "Is it true? Do you really feel that left out?"

Caitlyn shrugged her shoulders. "Not by you," she told him, "but sometimes by others. Everyone's just so into sports, and I'm not. I haven't gotten to do anything that I've wanted to do for years, and now I finally get to try something, and Max, I'm good at it!" Her face glowed as she spoke, and Max watched her carefully. "Most of the girls are snobs, but I've made a friend, and the teacher tells me that I have a talent for dance." She sighed and then said, "I don't know. For so many years, I've just wanted my brothers and my family to think that I'm just as talented as they are."

"You are!" Max cut in. "I've heard you mixing music up here. You're awesome at that." He paused, and then said, "And if dancing's what you want to do, then I'd be happy to help you whenever you might need me." He winced even at the thought, but still waited patiently for her reaction, obviously hoping that she wouldn't laugh at him.

Caitlyn actually raised an eyebrow. "You would actually dance with me?" she asked.

"Only to help you practice, you know, for when you have to dance with someone else," he said quickly. When she raised an eyebrow, he whined, "Well, who else are you going to dance with?"

She simply grinned at him and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tightly. "Thanks," she said.

"But you can't tell Brent, or Zack, or Peter," he cautioned nervously. "And, well, you can't tell anyone else." He stared at her. "Promise me."

Caitlyn grinned. "I promise. It'll be our little secret."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all liked this! I put the banter between brother, sister, and towel in not to make things weird, but to show the deepness of their relationship. Please review and I hope you had a great holiday!!**


	9. Show Music

**A/N: Enjoy!!**

* * *

Caitlyn blinked at Nate, surprised. "I'm sorry?" she asked.

They were standing together inside the studio the next day, and Caitlyn was still shocked at what Nate was proposing. He, however, did not seem nervous at all. He was leaning casually against the small table that held the iPod docking station used for classes with his arms crossed loosely over his chest. If she hadn't been so shocked, Caitlyn might have taken the time to admire Nate's profile. Now, she could barely think straight.

"I'd like for you to be the lead in our studio's show. You know, the show I told you about earlier," Nate said again, patiently, actually looking slightly amused.

"But, I've been dancing for two days!" Caitlyn cried. Was this normal for dancers to do? Surely there was no other reason why Nate would ask her to dance so soon…in front of people!

Nate nodded, and then smiled, but the smile never reached his eyes as he said, "I know, but you have a rare talent. I'd like to explore it as much as possible. Plus, the show's not tomorrow or anything. It's in a little over three weeks."

Caitlyn's mind raced at the thought of what was being asked of her. Did she want to do this? Of course! Did she truly think that she could? No way. "But I'm not good enough!" she exclaimed, feeling suddenly pressured.

Nate took a couple of steps closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Of course you are," he said softly. "I wouldn't ask you to do it if you weren't." He sighed, and his hand moved slightly on her shoulder, causing Caitlyn's whole body to tingle for reasons unknown. "This show means a lot to this studio," Nate went on, almost to himself. "It means a lot to me. I'd be honored if you would do it."

Caitlyn bit her lip. Never had any guy aside from her family stood so close to her, and Nate's warm breath, coupled with the hand on her shoulder, was making Caitlyn a little lightheaded. Almost immediately, she mentally smacked herself. What was wrong with her? She'd known this guy two days!

"Please, Caitlyn," Nate said again, seeing the consideration she was giving to this proposal.

Caitlyn felt closed in, like she had been shoved into a box. She felt pressured and hurried, and desperate to wipe that look of dejection off Nate's face. "I don't know," she said slowly, her eyebrows knit together in a frown. "I mean, I _want _to do it," she hastily assured Nate, "it's just that I don't think I'm the one you're looking for."

Nate frowned for a moment, and Caitlyn wondered if he was angry at her for not jumping at the chance to dance in his show, but then he asked, ever so softly, "Who was it that took your confidence away from you?"

Caitlyn froze. Her eyes widened and her lips parted in shock as her mind pushed images of her parents and her brothers to the front of her mind. Embarrassed that her mind had so readily provided her with an answer, Caitlyn ducked her head to hide the blush that was fanning out over her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Nate said, quickly pulling his hand away from her shoulder. Caitlyn instantly missed the contact. "That was personal, and it's not my business." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, annoyed with himself. "What I mean to say is that you're very special, Caitlyn, and I don't think you understand exactly what you're capable of. Will you at least think about it?"

Chocolate. That was the exact color of those eyes, looking beseechingly at her. Caitlyn couldn't help but feel the need to say something, anything. "I'll think about it," she told him with a nod. "I'll let you know tomorrow."

He nodded as well, seeming pleased by her response. He crossed to the desk at the front of the studio and opened a drawer. He rummaged around for a moment, and then came back to stand with Caitlyn, handing her a key and a CD case. "This is the music to the show," he told her. "Listen to it, see what you think, and we'll see where we go from there." He nodded to the key. "That's the key to the studio. If you ever want to practice and I'm not here, feel free to use the floor."

Caitlyn fingered the key and the case, and then nodded. "Thanks," she said slowly. The dancers at Nate's studio met every day, right after school, so Caitlyn had walked the short distance to the studio to once again join the dancers. Jennifer had been there, and Caitlyn had been pleased to have her friend help her once more.

Nate seemed to spend a lot of time helping her with new steps, and between her teacher and her friend, Caitlyn had learned a whole extra dance today. She was tired, yes, and had been a little worried when Nate had asked to speak with her after everyone left, but now, with the music to the show in her hand, she couldn't help feeling slightly excited.

"See you tomorrow, right?" she asked as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

Nate nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Make sure you soak in a hot bath tonight, and remember to twist your ankles in circles to keep from straining anything."

Caitlyn nodded. "I will," she promised.

Nate nodded once more and said, "I'll wait to hear what you have to say tomorrow. If you take the part, I'll start teaching you the dances. If not, we'll-" her he paused, and then shook himself, "we'll just continue with what Jen and I have been teaching you."

"Okay," Caitlyn said softly, unsure how else to react. Nate seemed to be nervous about her rejection of the part. Could he really want her to be in the show that badly?

"Goodnight," Nate said, feeling the awkwardness between them as he began to walk her to the door of the studio.

"Night," Caitlyn replied, and stepped out into the cool night. Her brothers were waiting impatiently in the car for her, and she quickly ran towards them, hoping that they wouldn't be too mad at her.

"What took you so long?" Brent asked as he unlocked the door for her to climb in.

"I was a little busy," Caitlyn retorted, feeling a groan well up inside of her as she realized that the boys had once again left the back seat for her and Max. She began to push her way towards the back of the car, but then changed direction and handed the CD case to Zack, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to Brent. "Put that in for me, please," she requested, and then turned, not giving him a chance to refuse her.

When she reached the backseat, Max gave her a quick hug and took her bag from her so that she could sit down and buckle herself in. "Good class?" he asked softly.

Caitlyn nodded, her ears straining for any sign that Zack had put the CD in yet. "Yup," she whispered back.

The car started moving, and it was then that Caitlyn heard the first few notes of the CD. Zack twisted the dial on the stereo and the notes grew louder, reaching her ears easier than before. Caitlyn's heart beat a little quicker, and her stomach exploded with butterflies.

And in that moment, she knew. She knew what her answer would be.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked this! Please review. I love reading all your thoughts! :D**


	10. Rocking

**A/N: Enjoy!! Hope you had an awesome holiday! :)**

* * *

The next day, after school, Caitlyn walked through the mass of girls and guys at the dance studio, approaching Nate confidently. She didn't care that almost everyone there was watching her, sizing her up. All that mattered was the CD case in her hand.

Nate was bent over a drawer, apparently looking for something, so Caitlyn put the CD case right in front of him and said cheerfully, "I'll do it."

Nate looked up so quickly that his curly brown hair flew back from his face before settling once more into the proper style. He looked pleased, and nodded. "Great," he said. He stepped around the desk and motioned to one of the male dancers who was stretching in the corner. "Dave, could you take over?" he asked, tossing the CD case Caitlyn had brought to the dancer. "Track four for your group."

Dave nodded and moved toward the player, calling some of the dancers to the floor. Nate, however, tugged Caitlyn towards the corner, waving Jennifer over as well. Jennifer gave Caitlyn a happy smile before focusing her attention on what Nate was saying. "If I show you the steps, do you think you can teach them to Caitlyn?" Nate asked.

Jennifer nodded. "Sure," she said.

Nate spent a few minutes showing Jennifer the steps, and Caitlyn watched as best she could. There were so many new steps that she hadn't learned, that she felt slightly overwhelmed. By the time Nate left them to take over the rest of the class, Caitlyn felt scared and nervous. "I don't know if I can do this," she whispered to Jennifer over the music.

Jennifer shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she assured Caitlyn. "You just need a little confidence in yourself. Caitlyn, these dances are hard, and you're doing an amazing job learning them." She bumped Caitlyn's shoulder with her own. "Loosen up, and you'll be fine. Now, do you know who you're playing?"

Caitlyn frowned. Was she playing someone? How did that work in the dancing world? "Um, no," she managed.

Jennifer didn't seem surprised. "The character you're playing is a fairy princess." She smiled and winked at Caitlyn. "Think you can pull that off?"

Caitlyn thought about being a princess of the wee folk that inspired so many of the Irish tales and could actually see the fine, silvery wings that would flutter delicately as she danced. She could see the small shoes that would accentuate her feet and give her the chance to fly across the stage. She smiled. "Yeah, I think I can," she said.

Jennifer grinned. "Excellent."

* * *

"It's too hard!" Caitlyn didn't care if she was whining. It truly was too hard.

Jennifer didn't tell her that she was being a baby, or not trying hard enough. She only nodded and said, "It is at the moment, but it'll get easier. Try once more."

Caitlyn sighed huffily and put her hands on Jennifer's shoulders once more in order to steady herself as she fitted the toes of one foot to the back of the heel of the other and began moving from side to side, bending one foot under the other. Rocking, as it was called, was something she was _not_ fond of. She groaned as her feet protested against the unnatural movement. Rocking was supposed to be a fluid, spaghetti-like movement, and her rocking looked about as stiff as a board.

Nate clapped his hands somewhere in the room, and Caitlyn stopped rocking long enough to turn and listen to him. "Thank you all," he said calmly. "Good work, see you tomorrow."

Jennifer turned back to Caitlyn and patted her back gently. "It's coming along," she promised. "Keep practicing, and I'm sure you'll get it in no time." She checked the watch around her wrist and grimaced. "Sorry, but I have to get to my work. See you tomorrow?"

Caitlyn nodded. "Thanks," she said, and Jennifer smiled as she waved and hurried out the door.

Caitlyn watched her friend leave and then attempted the same rocking motion by herself, nearly falling over. She let out an embarrassed cough and straightened up, looking around to see if anyone was watching. From far across the room, Caitlyn saw Tess Tyler smirk at her, and a strange feeling of willfulness shot through Caitlyn's veins. She thrust out her chin and packed up her bag, vowing that the next time she saw Tess Tyler, she would have the greatest rock in the whole studio.

* * *

"Why are we here again and not at home, sound asleep, and furthermore, warm?"

Caitlyn turned from where she was trying to coax her cold fingers into opening the door and glared at her brother. "Since when do you whine so much?" she teased him.

"I'm not whining," he protested, glaring at her. "I'm just cold."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and jammed the key a little harder into the slot. With a grating sound, it gave way and the lock clicked. She pushed the door open and groped for a moment to find the light switch. "Get in here," she hissed to Max, laughing at his pained expression.

He eagerly stepped inside and Caitlyn led him over to the dance floor. "You never answered my question," he told her. "Why are we here?"

Caitlyn slipped on the pair of ghillies that Jennifer had loaned her and stood. "I need to practice, and you're going to help me." She walked over to iPod station and chose the track that Nate used most often for warm ups. "We'll need to stretch, though," she warned Max. "I don't want you tearing anything. What would your team say about that?"

Max made a face. "Whatever, little sister," he said, refusing to acknowledge her jabs. He flexed his arms and teased, "Show me what you got."

Caitlyn grinned and together, they went through the warm up routine with her laughing at each of Max's half-hearted attempts at being graceful. Finally, Caitlyn finished the routine and changed the song. "Want to see what I've learned?" she asked.

Max grinned at her. "That's what I'm here for."

"I'll take that as a yes," Caitlyn responded dryly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She quickly cued the music and took her spot in the middle of the dance floor. The sound of bells reached her ears as the opening notes played. Soon, her feet carried her through the steps that she had learned earlier. Out of both breath and steps, she paused a quarter of the way through the song, turning back to smile at Max in triumph.

It was only then that she noticed the person standing against the wall next to Max, eyes fixed on her.

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! PLEASE review! New Year's Resolution: Review my stories! ;) JK!**


	11. Passion to Dance?

**A/N: Here's your answer!! ;)**

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"Tess?" Caitlyn gulped as she saw the girl step into the light for the first time. Max's eyes went as wide as saucers and Caitlyn made a mental note to give him a talk later about Tess Tyler.

Meanwhile, Tess smirked at Max and said, "You must be Caitlyn's brother. I'm Tess Tyler." Caitlyn knew by the way she said her name that she was expecting a gushing response.

"Hi," was all Max said, seeming to have picked up quickly on the fact that Tess was shallow and into anything that promoted herself.

"Perhaps you've heard of me?" Tess asked, already appearing stunned that someone that was seated in a dance studio did not know her name.

Max actually blushed, understanding that he was missing something and unintentionally humiliating this stuffy girl in front of him. "Sorry, I haven't," he admitted, but then added, "but I wouldn't let that concern you. I don't know anything about the dancing world."

Tess tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Obviously," she muttered.

Max blinked and sat back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest, silently offended. If it had been anyone else but Tess in the room with them, Caitlyn would have laughed. Instead, she asked, "Was there something we can help you with?"

Tess raised one perfect eyebrow, obviously identifying the tone Caitlyn had used as one of annoyance and barely concealed sarcasm. She cocked her hip a bit to the side before she shook her head. "No. I don't need anything from _you_." She listened to the music that was playing and stated, "You're practicing for the fairy princess."

Caitlyn nodded. "Yes, I am," she said, having a sinking feeling as to where this was going.

"To that music?" Tess added, nodding her head ever so slightly towards the iPod dock.

"Yes," Caitlyn replied tersely.

"Dancing like that," Tess clarified, looking pointedly at Caitlyn's feet.

No," Caitlyn said as evenly as she could, her brown eyes flashing as she stared the older girl down. "I'm going to get much better the longer I practice and the less people take up my time asking me trivial questions."

Tess matched Caitlyn's pointed look and then turned away from her. Was it Caitlyn's imagination, or did she actually see two small red spots on Tess's cheeks? Could Tess actually be embarrassed? That was impossible! Or was it?

"I just came to get my shoes," Tess said, breaking Caitlyn out of her thoughts. She crossed the floor and grabbed a pair of hard shoes that had been thrust into the corner. "I'm off to a party, and they asked me to dance for them," she said with yet another toss of her hair. Did her neck ever hurt from all that hair tossing? "I was going to have my driver come get them, but then I saw the light on and wanted to see who was in here taking up space." She paused and added, "I mean, practicing."

Max's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything. Caitlyn, however, did. "Well, now that you've satisfied your curiosity, you can leave the way you came in," she said sweetly. "And would you lock the door on your way out? I must have forgotten to."

Tess just glared at her. "Sure," she said, and grabbed her own key to the studio, making sure that Caitlyn saw it, waltzed out the door and slammed it behind her. The twins heard the grating sound of a lock being jammed into place, and then a car engine roared away.

They were both very quiet for a moment before Max said in a sarcastically cheerful voice, "She seems nice."

Caitlyn turned and restarted the song. "The nicest," she agreed.

* * *

Throughout the week, Caitlyn practiced and practiced her dances each night. Max drove her and brought his homework along, though he rarely advanced in his classes just through those night sessions. He much preferred watching Caitlyn dance. One night, in the second week, Max dropped Caitlyn off and left to run some errands that had to get done before their mom found out that he had procrastinated with them.

As she stepped into the studio and cued the music, Caitlyn felt a swift sense of longing to stray from the choreography that Nate had drummed into her. The music called to her, and since no one was there, she opened up to it and let it flow through her. Her feet danced like a fairy's, and her hands reached towards the ceiling, bending to the music like reeds in the wind.

She rolled her neck and twisted around as the music swelled, and then stopped short when she opened her eyes. There in front of her stood Nate. His dark eyes watched her movements without comment, and she had been so wrapped up in her magical land of Ireland that she had not even heard him come in. "Hi," she muttered, feeling awkward.

Nate didn't smile back. "Hi," he responded, and then crossed the floor to the iPod dock, his dance shoes making ominous clicks on the floor. He rotated the dial, choosing the song that he wanted, and then he turned around, motioning with a crooked finger for Caitlyn to come closer.

The music began, the cheerful notes of an upbeat slip jig springing through the air. Nate grabbed Caitlyn's wrist gently when she was close enough to him and pulled her closer, looking down at her with hard eyes. "Dance with me," he whispered.

Caitlyn panicked. "I-you haven't taught me this dance yet," she answered, already feeling her head working out the steps she would have used if he hadn't have shown up.

Nate shook his head and tugged her towards the middle of the floor, turning her so that she could see their reflection in the mirrors. "Dance. Dance however you feel you should."

And so Caitlyn did. Her legs flew through the steps her heart supplied her with, focusing on everything that she had learned in the several days she had been dancing. Her arms reached for the sky, and she could envision herself flying through the grass along the hills of Ireland, becoming enchanted by the sensual playing of the fairy instruments. And Nate was there with her, following her every lead. They danced around each other as though the world didn't matter anymore, and for a moment, as he held her close, Caitlyn saw the usual hardness in his eyes disappearing into something softer.

The music stopped, and the look was gone. Nate stepped away from her, almost dropping her on the floor in his haste to step back. "That's really great," he murmured, and Caitlyn thought that he sounded tired, strained. "Perhaps we'll use that in the show."

And there he was, breaking the mood by mentioning the show he was pushing so hard. Caitlyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Yeah," she said, noncommittal.

The rumble of a car outside broke whatever wisps of dancing magic was left, shattering the momentary bond that Caitlyn and Nate had found together in dancing. Nate lifted his head at the rude noise of the outside world and nodded towards the door. "You're brother's probably ready to go," he said carefully.

Surprisingly, Caitlyn didn't debate him. She simply swung her bag over her shoulder and hastily pulled off her ghillies so that she could slip on her flats. Just as she turned towards the door, Caitlyn had a thought. Feeling bold, she turned and noticed Nate standing next to the iPod dock with his back to her and his head hanging down.

"You once asked me a question," she began, obviously startling him, for he turned sharply to look at her. "You thought it was pretty personal, and since you invaded my personal space, I'm going to invade yours." Her dark brown eyes roved over his whole frame for a moment, noting the defeated gesture he wore all too often anymore. "Why do you do this?"

Nate frowned. "Do what?" he asked.

Caitlyn motioned towards the studio. "Why do you hold these classes? Why do you dance?" She glanced at his face again and said challengingly, "You either never had the passion for dancing, or someone's taken it away from you, and by the way you dance with me, I'm going to say that it's the second one."

With that, she whirled around and headed towards the door. When he called her name, she ignored him and kept on walking.

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**A/N: Hope you liked this! Thank you all for all your wonderful, amazing reviews!! PLEASE keep it up! :)**


	12. I Like You

**Here you go! Sorry about the wait! ;)**

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For a while after their confrontation, Caitlyn and Nate had difficulties speaking to one another. Nate partially blamed Caitlyn because she was so unwilling to speak to him about anything other than dancing, and Caitlyn blamed Nate because she simply didn't want to be blamed. She continued to show up at odd hours of the night, always accompanied by Max, who barely spoke and stayed in the corner doing his work. It was during those times that Nate gave up the iPod and simply practiced from memory, trying very hard not to watch as Caitlyn went through the steps with the grace of a natural dancer.

Finally, he found his opportunity one day. As usual when practicing for a tour, the dancers began spending more and more time at the studio, and Nate felt a momentary rush of guilt when he remembered that he had not yet explained to Caitlyn that this "recital" was much more than a show. However, when he saw her sitting by herself at dinnertime under one of the benches they had erected behind the studio, he thought he might have his chance.

It was only then that he noticed Tess Tyler.

With so many dancers coming together to put on the show, the tables and benches were practically filled up, except for the table where Caitlyn was sitting. He watched as Tess and her two wannabes Peggy and Ella, search for a spot, conveniently avoiding looking at Caitlyn. He also watched Caitlyn notice the exact same thing.

She cleared her throat. Nothing. She called Tess's name softly. Nothing. Finally, Caitlyn raised her voice and shouted, "Yo! Girls in pink!"

Tess stopped abruptly, causing Ella and Peggy to almost run into her. Turning and flipping her hair out of her face, she asked, irritated, "What?"

Caitlyn nodded to the empty table in front of her. "I know that there are people just _flocking_ to sit with me," she said sarcastically, pretending that there were other people on the benches, "but I'm sure we could all squeeze in to make room for you guys."

Tess glared at her, apparently still put out about the casting choices. "Um, no," she said firmly, and walked away, her wannabes right behind her.

Caitlyn shrugged and looked around the empty table. "As you were," she said to the imaginary occupants.

Nate took that as his opportunity to stroll up to her and ask, "Is there room for me?"

Caitlyn looked up at him, and shrugged grudgingly. "I guess we can all make room," she told him, "as long as you don't take up too much space."

Nate grinned, glad that she was speaking to him again, even though her tone was far from friendly. "I'll work on it," he promised, sliding onto the seat across from her. When she didn't say another word, he sighed and said, "Look, I'm really sorry that I upset you. I didn't mean to make you mad. I just-" he paused, and she waited. "I just have a hard time showing my passion anymore, and I think you kind of scared me when you brought it out of me."

"Oh," Caitlyn said softly, realizing that he was answering her question in a rather roundabout way. "I see."

She glanced down at the sack dinner her mom had sent with her, pondering what she should say. Nate, however, beat her to it. "I like you," he told her, and when she looked alarmed and surprised he added awkwardly, "as a friend. I've enjoyed having you around the studio."

"Oh," she said again, and they shared a smile, lapsing into silence.

It was Caitlyn who broke the silence by commenting, "You sure do have a lot of students."

Nate looked around at the many different dancers lounging around and commented, "Most of them come from other studios to help me out." He winked at her. "They're kinda on loan."

As Caitlyn nodded, Nate couldn't help but feel guilty for stretching the truth. Without another word, he strode back into the studio to get ready for the next class, understanding that he had chickened out yet again.

* * *

"Great job today, everyone," Nate told the sweaty, tired dancers. "Go home, take a shower, watch those ankles, and I'll see you tomorrow."

At his words, the dancers all began filing towards their bags, nearly tripping over one another to get to their belongings first. Caitlyn and Jennifer hung back, talking about school and work while waiting for the rush of people to leave. Finally, they were able to reach their bags and then began the task of pulling off their shoes and pulling on their sweats and sweaters to keep their muscles warm.

Jennifer checked her watch and muttered something under her breath. "Sorry, Caity, but I've got to go. I'm late again for work again!" She jumped up and grabbed her bag, flying out the door with her sweater half on.

Caitlyn laughed and shook her head, only realizing at that moment that she and Nate were the only ones left. She noticed that he was quietly working on paperwork and quickly hurried up her own packing process. She crossed the dance floor and stood by the desk. "Sorry about that," she told him. "We get to talking and we lose track of the time."

Nate shook his head, though. "Don't even worry about it," he assured her. "It's fine." He set his pen down next to the document he was signing and ran a hand through his unruly hair, doing absolutely nothing to hinder it's natural buoyancy. "I'm sorry things have been so weird lately," he apologized.

Caitlyn shrugged uncomfortably. "It was mostly my fault," she told him, trying to make peace.

Nate shook his head. "Perhaps, but I meant all the days that I've pushed you so hard to work on some new number. I didn't mean to be so harsh." He smiled up at her. "You're a talented dancer, and no, these dances aren't as difficult as advanced levels of Irish dance, but they're still pretty hard and you're doing a wonderful job." He shifted uncomfortably. "That's all."

Caitlyn nodded, and smiled at him. "Thanks," she told him, and turned to leave. "Oh, by the way," she told him, turning around to smile at him, "I like you too."

Then, she was walking towards the door, biting her lip in an effort not to chicken out and turn around to tell him that she had been joking. He could take her admittance however he wanted to, but she would know deep down exactly what she had meant. There was a shuffling behind her, and then and hand latched onto her arm, whirling her around.

Then next thing she knew, Caitlyn was being kissed ever so softly. Her shock melted away after a moment, as did her stiffness, and she leaned into Nate's body, allowing herself to get swept away in his kiss. As his lips moved effortlessly over hers, Caitlyn recognized passion in his embrace, the same sort of wild passion that he allowed himself to momentarily show when he danced with her.

And in that moment, she was glad that she had spoken up.

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**A/N: It's not as great as I would have liked it to be, but I'm getting it out there so I don't keep you guys waiting any longer. Hope it's okay and I hope you liked the kiss! Please review! ;)**


	13. Fairy Princess

**A/N: Enjoy!**

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School. Math. Geography. Biology. Was this day ever going to end?

Caitlyn pressed the palms of her hands down on the desk in front of her, willing herself not to scream as her teacher droned on and on. Ten more minutes. She just needed to hang on for ten more minutes. She could do that…right?

"Caitlyn?"

Caitlyn jerked her head up, realizing that everyone was looking at her expectantly. "I'm sorry," she said tiredly. "I didn't hear the question, and frankly, I probably don't know the answer."

Her teacher blinked. "Are you feeling all right, Caitlyn?" she asked nervously, and Caitlyn could tell that her teacher's maternal side was already checking for signs of a fever appearing. Caitlyn not knowing an answer was a rare, and probably serious thing.

"I'm fine," Caitlyn responded, embarrassed that everyone was _still_ looking at her. No one but Max ever paid attention to her in class, so why had they all started now?

"Are you sure?" her teacher persisted. "Do you want to go to the nurse's office? Do you think you need to lie down?"

What was with all the questions? Caitlyn frowned. "I'm really fine," she assured her science teacher. "I was just spacing off. Sorry."

Her teacher failed to appear convinced, but just nodded and turned back to the board behind her. "Alright class," she said. "Enough questions. The answer was spore."

* * *

"Heard you spaced out in Biology," Zack commented when Caitlyn and Max piled into the van. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "What happened? Too much dancing fried you brain?"

Later, Caitlyn could never remember why she had reacted the way she had. At that moment, her control broke and she whirled around agilely and grabbed her brother by the front of his football uniform. She knew she was wasting valuable time. Her brothers usually dropped her off and sped back to their football practices, but she couldn't help herself.

"I don't want to hear you say another word about my dancing," she hissed at him, her face inches from his. Strangely enough, Zack actually looked surprised at her furious face. Never in her life had she responded to his taunting.

"Cait-"

"You don't know the first thing about dancing," she told him, cutting him off. "You may think that Irish dancing's a bunch of jumping up and down, but it's not. I bet you couldn't do it." She thrust her chin out challengingly. "I'm sorry that I'm not this sporty person, but the least you could do was to give me a little credit and be happy for me when I find something that I'm good at." She let go of his shirt and looked at her other brothers, who were watching her with shock. "All of you."

With that, she climbed into the backseat and snuggled up next to Max, who couldn't stop grinning.

* * *

"No."

"Yes."

"No. Absolutely not."

Jennifer narrowed her eyes. "Yes," she said again. "You're going to have to try it on sometime, so you'd better do it now."

Caitlyn shook her head. "I'm not wearing that."

"Yes, you are," Jennifer told her stubbornly, holding up the filmy dress of green and blue pastels. Shimmery white material attached to the back of the bodice and was intended to loop around Caitlyn's elbow and middle finger and would then appear as wings.

"It's too small."

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Caityn, you have white shorts underneath and you'll be wearing white tights."

"It's still too small." Caitlyn stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes flickered to the dress, which she had to admit _was_ pretty, and then to Nate across the room, who kept smiling at her each time their eyes met. She couldn't wear such a dress in front of Nate! What might he think of her?

Jennifer seemed to notice Caitlyn's hesitancy and her sneaked peeks, for she smiled widely and rolled her eyes again. "If you're worried about what Nate'll think, I wouldn't waste your time. Nate picked this out especially for you." She nodded to the racks along the wall filled with costumes. "Yours is one of the longest in the whole troupe."

Caitlyn bit her lip and reached a nervous hand out towards the hanger. "Fine," she muttered, and took the dress from Jennifer's hands, marching off to the bathroom so that she could change. She might be dancer, but there was no way she was just going to strip down like some of these other dancers did. No way in the world.

The bathroom, thankfully, was empty, so there was no one to hear Caitlyn's complaints as she struggled into the dress. It was her size, there was no doubt about that, but there were so many confusing "petals" to the skirt that she couldn't find the opening to slip it over her head. "I hate costumes," she muttered aloud, silently cursing the dress.

She finally found the right layer and slipped the dress over her head before she could lose the opening in the layers of cloth. She slipped the tights and the dancing shorts on underneath the outfit and then slid the white ghellies that accompanied the outfit onto her feet. With her other clothes under her arm, Caitlyn slipped out of the stall and stepped up to the counter, seeing herself as the fairy princess for the first time.

"Wow," she whispered aloud, struck by the way the colors brought out the tint of her brown eyes and the wave of her hair, now slightly rumpled by the struggle into the dress. However, it simply looked as though she had been frolicking through the windy hills of Ireland. She slipped the bands over her arms and tested out her wings, feeling her excitement mount as the glitter on the material caught the light and caused it to shimmer.

She exited the bathroom and stepped out into the studio, silently praying that no one would laugh at her or think that she looked silly. Jennifer was the first one to notice her, and a grin spread across her friend's face. Several other people noticed as well, and whispers began to circulate the room. Tess looked up from where she was talking with Nate and her eyes narrowed upon seeing Caitlyn's outfit.

Nate, however, let his eyes rove of Caitlyn and the outfit, obviously pleased with his choice. He smiled widely at her and strode across the floor, leaving Tess standing by herself, to stand before Caitlyn. "It fits," he said, feeling awkward in front of all these people.

Caitlyn grinned. "So it does," she remarked playfully.

Nate nodded approvingly. "It looks great on you. Do you want to give your dances a try in it today?"

Caitlyn's heart swelled with hope. "Sure," she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth to prove that her feelings were not as indifferent as she had portrayed them to be.

As Nate took her hand and led her to the middle of the floor, Tess's eyes narrowed once more. So the little outsider had captured Nate's attention. Well, she would see about that.

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**A/N: Duh duh duh DUM!! Anyways, hope you enjoyed this! Please review!! The story's beginning to wind down. :(**


	14. Dinner Dates

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long, guys! Bit of a writer's block. Enjoy!**

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The week passed quickly, and soon, most of the dancers were commuting to and from the large stage where they would perform. Caitlyn's brothers drove her every day, never saying a word about the practices they missed. Zack even helped carry her dance bag and make up kit, for which she was grateful.

Jennifer was an immense help during the tech week of rehearsals. She helped Caityln with her wig, pulling her hair back into four separate ponytails before twisting them together to keep them effectively tucked under the wig. Then came copious amounts of hair spray and gel, just to keep everything secure. The wig felt as though it weighed a ton on top of Caitlyn's head and gave her an almost instant headache, but she pushed through the small annoyances in anticipation of time on the stage.

"You ready?" Jennifer asked, wiggling into her own costume as Caitlyn changed once again into her fairy costume.

Caitlyn nodded. "I'm ready to be done for today," she told Jennifer with a smile. This particular run through was their fifth of the day, and she was tired of constantly changing outfits and readjusting the tiaras she wore on her head to disguise the spot where her natural hair left off and her wig began.

Jennifer crossed her arms and pretended to look suspicious. "Uh huh. Sure. This wouldn't have anything to do with the dinner you're going to tonight, would it?" A smile cracked through her façade.

Caitlyn blushed and looked down at her shoes. "Maybe," was all she said.

Nate had asked her out a week ago, and she had accepted. With the busy schedule they were leading, neither could find the time to go on such a date. That is, until tonight. Their calendars were free, and Nate had reservations at a tiny little restaurant that was known for its excellent food. Everything had been planned out, and Caitlyn could barely wait.

Jennifer laughed. "I'm happy for you both," she told her friend. "Nate's always been shy and quiet, so it's nice to see him branching out a bit." She wagged a finger teasingly. "But I think you keep screwing up that kissing scene on purpose."

Caitlyn blushed again, knowing exactly what scene her friend was talking about. Close to the end of the show, when evil was conquered and goodness restored, she and Nate shared a kiss on stage. However, every time she went to finish that scene, Caitlyn ended up forgetting the steps or she became too distracted and tripped.

"It's not my fault," Caitlyn whined.

"Yes it is."

"No it isn't!"

Jennifer laughed. "Yes, it is."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and groaned. "Every time he kisses me, I can't think straight," she admitted. "I'm not doing it on purpose, but I really can't concentrate."

Jennifer slung an arm around Caitlyn's shoulders. "We'll work on it," she promised her friend. "Don't think about it this time, just _do_ it. You'll be great!"

Together, they exited the small dressing room they shared and moved towards the side curtains where the dancers were beginning to gather for the last run through. Nate waited for everyone, checking each person's name off his list before he clapped his hands. "Last time, everyone!" he called. "Let's make it count!"

Caitlyn leaned over and whispered in Jennifer's ear, "Nate's sure taking this seriously for just impressing a few big wigs."

Jennifer looked startled and turned to say something, but Nate was already guiding Caitlyn out to her starting point in the middle of the stage. With a frown, Jennifer resolved to talk to Caitlyn later about her comment.

For now, they needed to focus on practicing.

* * *

When the final run through for the day was completed, Caitlyn and Jennifer returned to their dressing room tired and sweaty. "I'm so glad that Nate's a dancer too," Caitlyn said as she changed out of her costumes and into her street clothes. "Otherwise, I would feel awful about not getting a chance to shower." She made a face, and Jennifer laughed.

"Ah, the perks of performing," Jennifer teased with a dramatic sigh.

Caitlyn scrambled to stuff all of her clothes into her bag while trying to slip her shoes on at the same time. "Well, gotta run!" she said cheerily. "Nate's waiting for me! See you tomorrow, Jen!"

And then she was gone, and Jennifer sighed. She hadn't even asked about Caitlyn's comment.

* * *

"This is a really nice place," Caitlyn observed as Nate led her through the maze of tables.

Nate nodded. "Not as nice as you," he teased and Caitlyn groaned.

"That was sad," she told him with a smile of her own.

"I know," he admitted, pulling out her chair for her.

A waiter came and collected their drink order, and Caitlyn turned her attention to the menu, not noticing Nate's rather nervous glances. Everything looked so good! Caitlyn read and reread the menu before she made up her mind. "What are you going to have?" she asked, peeking over the top of her menu to look at Nate.

For a moment, he seemed unable to remember, and then he said confidently, "The steak. You?"

"Same," Caitlyn told him.

The waiter came to their table and they each ordered their main course, along with a garden salad. As they waited for their food to arrive, Nate shifted in his chair. Caitlyn noticed, and realized that he was _not_ just trying to find a comfortable position to sit in. "Are you alright?" she asked carefully. "Is something wrong?"

Nate shook his head, but didn't specify which question he was answering. For a moment, he let the silence hang awkwardly, but then he finally said, "Caitlyn, there's something that I need to tell you."

Caitlyn leaned forward, and waited. "Yes?" she asked.

"I've been trying to tell you this for a while, but I've been too…scared," Nate said. "Caity, I-"

"Hello, Nate and Caitlyn," said a voice. "Fancy meeting you here." Nate and Caitlyn both looked up and found Tess Tyler standing next to the table, grinning down at them. "Caitlyn, I'd like you to meet my date for tonight. Tyler, this is Caitlyn. Caitlyn, this is Tyler O'Conner."

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**A/N: Cliffy again! Again, sorry this has taken so long. I'm going to be slowing the updating down slightly because I'm trying to put together a surprise for you readers, so please bear with me. And review!! :D**


	15. Betrayal

**A/N: Thank you all so much for sticking with me. I really think you'll like the surprise later on!!**

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Nate gazed up at Tess and barely refrained from gasping. "Tess," he hissed, but she sweetly ignored him as she tugged Tyler closer to the table.

"You remember Tyler, don't you?" she asked Nate, gazing challengingly at him. How far would he play her game?

Nate winced as he noticed Caitlyn's confused glances between her date and the man standing next to the table. "Yes," he said tensely, making a mental note to fire Tess later from his troupe. "Hi."

Tyler was beginning to understand that something was wrong here, but he nodded in return. "Nathaniel," he said casually. He shifted for a moment, studying the tension in between the different couples, and then nodded towards Caitlyn. "Nice to meet you, Caitlyn. Enjoy your dinner."

He turned to leave, but Tess's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Wait." There, in her eyes, was a maliciousness Nate hadn't seen before.

She wouldn't.

"Tyler's coming to the show, aren't you, Tyler?"

She did. She went there.

Tyler stared at her for a moment, obviously trying to understand what game he was helping her play. After a moment, he nodded. "Of course."

Tess seemed to pout for a moment, miffed that Tyler was not being a little bit more descriptive, but then she laughed. "I figured you were. After all, you need to see how the bet plays out, right?"

Nate closed his eyes. No. This wasn't happening. This wasn't the way he had wanted Caitlyn to find out. "Tess, stop," he growled, glaring up at her with anger in his eyes and a furious tone in his voice. He couldn't believe that she was doing this to him. Ruining his relationship with Caitlyn over simply not getting the lead role was lower than he thought she would go.

Tess looked awkwardly surprised at his tone for a moment, but she pushed ahead and said, "Why Nate, you don't need to get worked up over it. I'm sure that everything will work out now that you've snagged Caitlyn to dance the lead for you." She gave a false laugh. "You know how much I admire you, Tyler," she patronized, threading her arms through his, "but with the way Nate's prepped Caitlyn, you don't stand a chance!"

Nate glanced over and saw Caitlyn's face. She looked confused, hurt, and most of all, she looked betrayed. In fact, her expression looked just like his must have a month ago when all of this betting and betrayal had begun. "Tess," he began again, but Tess cut him off, realizing that she had done enough damage.

"Say no more," she said cheerily. "We'll leave you alone and let you get back to your dinner." She smirked at Caitlyn, and then said, "I'm sure you two have plenty to talk about." She gave them a wave, barely wiggling her fingers. "Bye." And without another word, she had dragged a frowning, rather confused Tyler away, leaving Nate and Caitlyn alone once again.

For a long moment, there was silence. Nate anxiously watched Caitlyn's bowed head, waiting for her to say something. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. "Caity…."

Caitlyn lifted her head and gazed at him for a moment, ashamed that tears were actually forming in her eyes. "So that was all there was," she managed, motioning to the table in front of her.

She thought he had played her. "Caity, no," he began, but she cut him off by standing up abruptly.

"Was getting me to like you part of the bet?" she asked. "Was I just something fun to string along for a while?" She continued on, not even giving Nate the chance to admit or deny such an idea. "If you were trying to win a bet, _Nathaniel_," she said, harshly spitting out his full name, "then you should have just told me." She brought a hand up to wipe away her tears angrily. "I'm done." She stepped around her chair and headed back towards the door.

Nate jumped up after her and caught her before she reached the sidewalk. "Caitlyn," he began, catching her arm and twisting her around.

Caitlyn tried to wrench her arm away. "Let go of me!" she hissed, glaring at him when her eyes met his.

"Not until you hear what I have to say," Nate told her stubbornly.

"I don't want to hear you say anything," she growled, trying to pull away from his hold on her arm.

"Too bad," Nate told her. "You need to hear this." He paused for a moment, waiting for her to put up more of a struggle, but she didn't. She just stood there, hostile, waiting for him to speak so that he would let go of her. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the whole truth, but you need to understand that I was trying to tell you all of this before Tess walked up."

Caitlyn stared at him. "How convenient," she told him. "Do you say that every time you lie? 'I was going to tell you, but I ran out of time.'"

Nate shook his head, fighting to remain calm. "No. It's true, though. I _was_ going to tell you. I've tried a few times to tell you and someone's always come up right as I was going to talk to you, or I've just chickened out because I-I was afraid you would leave."

"And you would lose the bet," Caitlyn finished for him, feeling the tears beginning to come again.

Nate vehemently shook his head again. "No!" he cried, startling Caitlyn. "No, I was afraid that I would lose _you_! Caitlyn, you're the one responsible for making the show as good as it is. I've watched the way you dance, and you have such a passion for it. It makes the whole stage come alive!" He watched her carefully, aware that she was listening to his every word. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I should have, I know. At first, I told myself that I didn't want to pressure you, but after that, I just didn't want to lose you."

They stood there for a moment, searching each other's eyes. Nate fervently hoped that he would find some sort of understanding or forgiveness, and Caitlyn was looking for the truth that had been absent since she had met him. Finally, she nodded ever so slightly. "I actually believe you," she said flatly. She took a step away from him, and he let her go. "But I can't be with someone who lied to me for so long."

And with that, she turned around and left him standing on the sidewalk, staring after her slumped form as she dejectedly made the long journey home on foot.

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**A/N: I hope you liked this! Please review, and thank you so much for reading!! *hugs all of you!***


	16. Need to Talk

**A/N: I'm so sorry that this has taken so long, but I've been really sick for a while and I just didn't feel like writing with a 105 degree temp. I really hope you enjoy this, though, and please excuse me again for taking so long.**

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Running. Always running. Her feet pounded the pavement, her body shuddering with tears. She was alone. In some ways, she had hoped that Nate would run after her, fight her. She _wanted _him to fight with her, because in fighting, she would know that Tess was lying and that Nate hadn't truly used her. However, no one called her name, and no one stopped her as she ran down the sidewalk.

So it must be true.

Her muscles gave out long before her tears did, and Caitlyn was forced to stop. She stood there, gulping in breaths only to expel them again in a rush of carbon dioxide and tears. Her hands shakily found her knees, trying to usher in more stability to her quivering body. Caitlyn knew, in that moment, that she would never make it home.

She walked for a couple more blocks before she came upon a busy intersection with a gas station. A pay phone stood outside, and she made her way over to it. It was only then that she realized that her cell phone was in her purse, which was hanging over the back of her chair at the restaurant. The same purse that all of her money was in.

For a moment, she leaned wearily against the wall of the gas station, still breathing hard. She then brushed away her tears and stumbled inside, making her way to the back counter. The cashier glanced up at her, his face showing surprise when he saw Caitlyn approaching him. "Can I help you?" he asked, noticing the tears that were already beginning to trickle down her cheeks again.

She nodded and shyly cleared her throat. "Could I use your phone?" she asked.

Thankfully, he didn't ask for details, he simply handed her the station phone and told her the area code. She dialed home and waited for someone to pick up. She hoped that it would be Max that answered. She didn't need to speak to any of her other brothers right now, despite their recent kindness.

"Hello?"

Caitlyn closed her eyes momentarily. It was Zack. "Hi Zack," she mumbled, trying not to sniffle. "Can I speak to Max?"

There was a short pause before Zack answered, "Max isn't here. He's out on a date. Caity, what's wrong?" There was a worried edge in his voice, and Caitlyn knew that she wouldn't be able to end this call with him without telling him something.

"Look, I can't talk about it right now, but it would be great if you could come pick me up," she said. She told him where she was, and hung up, barely acknowledging his promise that he would be there within ten minutes. Their house was at least twenty minutes away. "Thanks," she said meekly as she handed the phone back to the cashier. He nodded and turned to help another customer that had come up in the meantime.

Caitlyn stepped out of the way and hugged herself as she waited for Zack. Surprisingly, and rather disturbingly, it only took him around ten minutes to screech into the gas station. Caitlyn didn't want to think of the speed he must have been traveling at to have reached her in such a short time. He jumped out of the car and ran up to her, nearly knocking her over as he grabbed her by the waist and held her tightly to him.

"Are you alright?" he asked urgently. Caitlyn nodded mutely, surprised by his open concern for her. This action seemed to unsettle Zack even more because he took her by the shoulders and gave her a small shake. "Say something, Caity!"

"I'm fine," she managed.

"What happened?"

Caitlyn didn't want to talk about it. Talking about it would make it real and not just a nightmare that she could wake up from with only mental damage. If this was real, then the physical damage might ruin her. "He just wasn't what I thought he was," she said simply. "Can we go home?"

Zack wisely let the matter drop, turning his attention for the first time to the cashier who was casually watching their exchange from across the room. "Thank you," he said and then led Caitlyn out to the car. He took her home without asking her any other questions, for which she was thankful.

As soon as they arrived home, Caitlyn's parents rushed forward to ply her with questions. It was Zack who shook his head insistently, silently telling them not to ask anything of their daughter right now. Though every fiber of their bodies seemed to want to ask what had happened, they allowed Caitlyn to trudge upstairs without an explanation, turning instead to question their son as soon as Caitlyn had shut the door to her room.

Inside, Caitlyn lowered herself onto her bed, stoically waiting. It took two hours of holding back her sniffles before the door to her room opened and the one person she wanted to see flew in. Max didn't say a word as he gathered her up and held her tightly, stroking her hair as she let the tears fall. He let her cry, gathering the gist of the story from her broken explanation in between sniffles and hiccups.

"I'm so sorry," he kept saying over and over. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't here to get you."

Caitlyn hugged him tighter, letting him cradle her head against his body as he stroked her back. "It's not your fault," she sniffled. "You didn't know."

They sat there in silence for a long while, curled up on Caitlyn's bed. Caitlyn felt her body go slack with the loss of tension and she began to feel very sleepy as she curled up next to Max. Suddenly, however, there was a loud noise from downstairs, and an angry hum of words made its way up to the twin's bedroom. Footsteps were heard on the stairs, and Caitlyn heard someone cry, "You can't go up there!"

The door to Caitlyn and Max's room swung open, hitting the opposite wall as Jennifer stormed in. Caitlyn's eyes widened and she sat up, surprised. "Jen!"

Jennifer tossed her hair back and angrily stood there, glaring defiantly at the rest of the Gellar family. She tossed her cell phone onto the bed by Caitlyn's hip and gazed at her friend.

"We need to talk."

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this! Is it too much to ask for you to review?? :D Also, tonight is the last night to vote for The Way She Bites Her Lip. If you've read it, PLEASE vote for it!! Thanks!  
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	17. Explanations

**A/N: Thanks so much for waiting!! Hope you enjoy this!**

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Caitlyn glanced down at the cell phone and picked it up. On the screen, Jennifer had left a text open, and Caitlyn's eyes widened as she saw the words, **Tess Tyler will dance 4 Caitlyn. Every1 be at the hall early 4 run through.**

"He's already replaced me?" she whispered, not realizing that she spoke aloud.

"He had to!" Jen exclaimed. "How could you do something like that to him? How could you just quit? Now?"

Caitlyn looked up at her friend and found her family anxiously watching the exchange. "It's fine," she said quietly, waiting until her family had trickled out of the room, leaving only Jen and Max. She nodded to Max's bed and said, "Please sit." Honestly, it was strange how problems could make one feel so formal around one's friends.

Jennifer hesitated, as though she wasn't quite sure whether she should or not, but she finally crossed over to the bed and sat down facing Caitlyn. Caitlyn had figured that she would have to endure an awkward silence before she was forced to explain herself, but Jennifer surprised her by saying with a pained expression on her face, "What happened, Caity? Everything was perfect six hours ago."

"Six hours ago," Caitlyn said slowly, trying to phrase her words kindly as well as deliver the truth. She really didn't want to lose Jen over a silly misunderstanding. "I didn't know that Nate was using me for a bet." Though she hadn't intended it to, the word "bet" came out a little harsher than she had intended.

Jennifer's face showed utter confusion as she wrinkled her brow, but then a light of understanding shown in her eyes. "You didn't know," she said slowly, almost sounding awed. "That's why you said what you did earlier about all the effort we put into the performance." She looked up at Caitlyn, some sort of understanding written all over her face. "He…never told you?"

"About the bet?" Caitlyn asked, not exactly sure what her friend meant. "No, he didn't."

Jennifer pressed a hand against her forehead and sat back a little more comfortably. "So this is all because you think that Nate flirted with you to get his way as part of his bet?"

"I know it is!" Caitlyn exclaimed. "Tess said so tonight, and he didn't deny it. Not denying is the same as agreeing."

Jennifer's face broke out into the least expected emotion. She smiled. "No wonder!" she exclaimed. Seeing Caitlyn and Max's frowning faces, she explained, "You've got this all wrong."

Caitlyn stared at her. "You mean that there wasn't a bet?"

Jennifer shook her head. "No, there _was_ a bet, but you were never a part of it." She shook her head again as though to sort out her thoughts. "Let me try to explain this."

And so, for the next fifteen minutes, she did. She explained how Tyler O' Connor had taken advantage of Nate's openness and had stolen his show and his dancers, and how the bet had begun. She told Caitlyn about the classes that all of the dancers had been taking to get them ready for the "show." She explained how all of the details of the bet were supposed to be kept on the "down low" so that newer dancers, including Caitlyn, would not feel pressured.

"He loves you," Jennifer explained, watching Caitlyn absorb everything that she had just said. "I've danced with him for four years, and I have _never_ seen him become attracted to anyone. He's one of the most caring people I know, Caitlyn, and if any girl deserves that, it's you. But if any guy deserves to have his side heard, it's him."

Caitlyn sat there for a moment, unable to soak everything in at one time. "So the bet had nothing to do with me?" she clarified.

"No."

"And it had everything to do with who was a better dancer?"

Jennifer nodded. "Right."

"So when Nate kissed me, he-"

"He did WHAT?!" Max exclaimed. Both girls started, having almost forgotten about him during their talk.

Caitlyn waved off his concern. "He was perfectly gentlemanly," she told him, and then turned her attention back to Jennifer. "So when he kissed me, he really meant it?"

Jennifer nodded. "Yes. And I'm sure that he would have told you about the bet sooner or later."

Caitlyn nodded for a moment. "I think he was going to do it tonight. He told me at dinner that he had something to tell me." She narrowed her eyes. "And then Tess arrived."

Jennifer tossed her head back. "Tess is a jerk." She smirked and then fell to her knees dramatically. "_Please_ Caitlyn, you can't let her dance in your place. The part of the fairy princess will be all wrong, and I assure you, there's no time to change to part to a suitable fairy demon."

Caitlyn laughed, visions of Tess outfitted in red and black with horns on her head leaping through her mind, but then she sobered. "I don't know," she said honestly. "I really don't know if I can do it now."

Jennifer was wise enough not to argue. Instead, she rose from the floor and took Caitlyn's hands in hers. "Will you at least promise me that you'll think about it? Consider what's happened, and then make up your mind."

"But won't I have to tell Nate as soon as I can?" Caitlyn asked. "I can't just show up on that day and say, 'Oh, by the way, I forgive you and I've come to dance for you.' That won't work, Jen."

Jennifer grinned. "No, but it'd be funny to watch him scramble." She laughed and then appeared contrite. "No, leave that part to me. If you decide that you're going to dance, then I'll see what I can do. Deal?"

Caitlyn nodded. "Deal," she said. She stood up with Jennifer and escorted her downstairs, past the rest of her family. "I'll let you know as soon as I can."

"Great," Jennifer told her, and then reached out and hugged her. "I'm so glad that I asked and didn't just assume." She winked. "You and Nate are too cute together to keep apart!" With that, she flounced out to her car and drove off.

Caitlyn closed the door and leaned back against its solid surface, ignoring her family's searching glances.

She had some serious thinking to do.

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**A/N: I really hope that you all liked this. Please review! And if you happen to like Harry Potter, please go check out The Luck of the Clover and vote for it. I would really appreciate it since it's my birthday today!! Thanks!**


	18. Making up her Mind

**A/N: I feel so guilty for keeping you guys waiting for so long!! :( Please forgive me, and I've given you an extra long chapter to make up for it. Again, I'm so sorry!! Only two more chapters!!**

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"I don't know what to do," Caitlyn wailed miserably, staring up at her ceiling without actually seeing it.

"I don't think you need to do anything," Max told her, tossing a tennis ball up in the air and catching it with quarterback ease.

Caitlyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "That's not entirely helpful," she told him. "And honestly, I think that's rather mean."

Max stopped tossing the ball and sat up so that he could stare at her. "_You_ think that that's mean?" he asked, half sarcastic and half incredulous. "After what he did to you?"

Caitlyn sat up as well, swinging her legs off the bed and planting them firmly on the floor as though preparing herself for a fight. "And what exactly did he do to me?" she asked, having thought long and hard about this. "He taught me how to dance, he liked me, and we went out. Did he physically hurt me? No." She paused and then crinkled her nose in the hope that she could tease her twin. "Well, he made my muscles really ache, but…"

It got the reaction she was looking for. Max's face turned an uncomplimentary shade of white and red. "_WHAT?!"_ he bellowed.

Caitlyn blinked innocently. "From all the dancing we did." She smirked at him. "Get your mind out of the gutter, brother of mine."

Max growled. "That's not even funny, Caitlyn."

Caitlyn ducked her head, admitting chastisement she didn't feel. "You're right. Sorry." Feeling relieved that his little sister hadn't been corrupted, Max leaned back on his bed, waiting for the rest of her analysis, since he was sure that she was far from done. As he expected, she continued. "Did he mentally hurt me? No. Sure, he pushed me during class, but he never hurt me until dinner, and even then, it was more Tess's story that hurt me than what he said."

"Or didn't say," Max pointed out.

Caitlyn nodded, feeling encouraged. "Right," she said.

Max was quiet for a long moment before he quirked an eyebrow at her. "Is this supposed to convince me?" he asked.

Caitlyn actually rolled her eyes this time and threw a pillow across the room at him. "Yes," she said. "I don't like what's he's kept from me, but I can sort of see why he did, now that I've had time to calm down and think it over."

Max slapped a hand against his forehead. "_That's_ what went wrong!" he groaned out. "You started _thinking_!"

Caitlyn sneered at him. "Shut up," she mumbled playfully. "But honestly, what beginner would stick around if they knew that they were being prepped for a world tour part? I sure wouldn't."

"So why are you even bothering with this?" Max asked, looking almost gleeful as she made his entire point for him. "Now you know, and you just said that a beginner wouldn't stick around, so why do you even care? He seems to have more than enough dancers, and he has little Miss Don't-you-know-who-I-am, so why worry about it?"

Caitlyn bowed her head for a moment, wondering if she had the nerve to tell Max exactly why she bothered. They had always told each other everything, but she had a feeling that Max wouldn't be too receptive to her reasoning. She realized that his arms were crossed over his chest in a challenging manner. "I take the fifth," she hissed haughtily, exercising her right not to answer the question.

Max stared at her for a moment, realizing that she was not denying him an answer because she didn't have one, but rather that she didn't want to tell him her answer. She didn't trust him to be supportive enough. "I see," he said slowly.

Caitlyn immediately understand the change in his demeanor. "It's not that I don't want to tell you," she assured him. "I do. It's just that, at the moment, I know you won't approve, so why bother making you mad?"

Max closed his eyes for a moment, his breath leaving him with a whoosh as he realized exactly what she was trying to say without _actually_ saying it. "You love him," he said morosely.

Caitlyn actually snorted at his dejected look. "Don't act so excited about it," she teased him. When he didn't respond, she sighed and slid off her bed to go sit next to him. "Please don't be upset," she whispered, putting her arm around his drooping shoulders. "He's really a great guy and I have to be allowed to grow up sometime."

Max looked up at her for a moment, and then copied her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I'll kill him the next time you come home in tears," was all he said.

Caitlyn's lips twitched into a smile. "Thanks, big brother," she teased.

They sat there for a moment before Max disentangled himself and gave her a push. "You'd better get going. You don't have much time to get ready."

Caitlyn didn't wait for him to change his mind. She hugged him tightly for a moment before scrambling over to grab her cell phone. She let out a growl when she realized that the battery had died and scrambled towards the door to find the house phone. A call from Max made her hesitate. "Yeah?"

He grinned at her. "I'm happy for you," he told her simply.

That was enough for Caitlyn. Her smile grew once more and she nodded, trying to stay calm and not jump for joy. "Thanks," she responded. "That means a lot to me."

Max gave her a curt nod and shooed her out the door. "Go!" he commanded, and she was off running again.

She ran downstairs and flew through the house, looking for the phone. After all, she had important call to make. As she tore through the living room, she was forced to backpedal, reaching out and grabbing the phone from Peter's ear.

"Hey!" he protested, trying to snatch the phone back from her without moving from his lounging spot on the couch.

"Sorry," Caitlyn apologized, rushed and breathless. "Emergency."

"I'm talking to Lily!" he hissed, making another grab for the phone as the device squawked, indicating that Peter's girlfriend was very displeased.

Caitlyn put the phone to her ear. "Hi Lily. Peter's going to have to call you back. Bye!" There was an indignant, garbled answer before Caitlyn disconnected the line of communication. "Sorry 'bout that," she apologized again before dashing out of the room as fast as she could.

She raced back to her room where she found Max making a heaping pile of all of her dance necessities, piling them unceremoniously on top of each other on her bed. Before she could say something sarcastic about his piling skills, she began dialing the proper number, punching the buttons with a sureness that she hadn't possessed the day before. The phone on the other end rang three times before a rushed voice answered with a harassed, "Hello?"

Caitlyn smiled into the receiver. "Hey Jen. I've made up my mind and, well, I need your help."

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Jennifer dodged fog machines, dancers stretching, and makeup artists as she slipped through the backstage chaos practically unnoticed. She deftly pocketed a light foundation from an unsuspecting makeup artist and swiped a rose colored blush from someone else's table. She pulled an eye shadow from the bag hanging from her shoulder and snagged a nearby tube of mascara. She pursed her lips. There wasn't a lot of makeup there, but it was the best she could do.

"You idiot!" some screeched. "What do you mean, you've _lost _it?"

Jennifer whirled around and saw Tess glaring menacingly down at a wardrobe technician. The wardrobe tech trembled for a moment and then drew herself up to her unimpressive five foot three stature and squared her shoulders, something she had never done in Tess Tyler's presence before. "I haven't _lost_ anything, Miss Tyler. One of the other technicians must have given the costume to someone else. We'll find it in just a few moments."

"The show starts in fifteen minutes!" Tess yelled, her anger making her voice pitch an octave above its normal range, and Jennifer barely held back a laugh as she slipped around a few other people, making sure that she stayed far away from Tess and her tantrum.

She scurried out of the building, practically running when she realized that no one was calling her back to the stage. She ran out into the parking lot, not even minding the dirt that got on her ghillies as she jumped into a nondescript, cramped van. "Got it!" she announced to the occupants.

"Good," said Mr. Gellar. "Come on everyone, let's go get our seats." He turned around and stroked his daughter's cheek. "Caity, we're so proud of you."

Caitlyn resisted the urge to sniff. "Thanks, dad," she whispered, touched that he was so proud of something other than sports.

The van rapidly depleted, leaving Jennifer and Caitlyn alone. Jennifer tossed all of the makeup at Caitlyn. "Tess's taken over your makeup box, so I couldn't get that for you. Sorry."

Caitlyn shook her head. "It's fine," she assured Jennifer.

"But…"Jennifer replied excitedly, "I did manage to get this." She opened the bag and handed Caitlyn a ball of rolled up material.

"Jen!" Caitlyn cried as she unrolled her costume. "How'd you get this?"

Jennifer smirked. "Have I ever mentioned just how much the wardrobe crew doesn't like Tess?" she asked innocently.

Caitlyn laughed and then scrambled into her costume, waiting impatiently for Jennifer to do her makeup. "What if he's not happy?" she asked nervously.

Jennifer snorted. "He's _not_ happy," she assured Caitlyn. "He's been an absolute bear today, and he dropped Tess once during a lift. I don't think he can be anymore displeased than he already is."

"But-"

Jennifer cut her off. "I don't know what you did, but Caitlyn, you brought out the old passion in Nate. I haven't seen him as happy as he is when he's around you in a long time." She added the final touches and checked Caitlyn's hair for a moment. "Perfect. Let's go."

The girls ran through the parking lot and slipped backstage, Jennifer keeping Caitlyn relatively hidden. A few of the people that recognized her grinned broadly and pumped their firsts, happy to see her. Tess, however, was still yelling as wardrobe techs scrambled around, looking for a costume that was currently hidden in a corner, swathing its rightful owner.

A lighting technician announced, "Ten seconds. Get out there, first team."

Tess hadn't heard him, since he had kept his voice low and was looking directly at Caitlyn. She grinned back at his kind face and then looked around, wishing that she could see Nate before she stepped out under the glare of the lights.

He wasn't there.

"He'll be there. Good luck," Jennifer whispered, steering Caitlyn out onto the stage. At the last moment, when there was no way that Tess could see them through the curtains, she whipped off the blanket and pushed Caitlyn out onto the floor.

Caitlyn sucked in a scared breath and strode to the middle of the stage, her legs trembling slightly before she reminded herself that this was exactly like every other rehearsal. This time, though, there would just be an audience. "I can do this," she whispered, and took her opening position.

The lights must have dimmed out in the auditorium because clapping could be heard. Then, the unmistakable sound of bells beginning to chime resounded throughout the hall. This was it. The music swelled, and Caitlyn heard a scuffle backstage. "No!" Tess called out, staring angrily at her.

There was nothing she could do, though, because at that moment, the curtain rose, and Caitlyn began her dance.

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**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!! Once again, I'm so sorry for taking so long! MAJOR writer's block! Please review, despite my lacking diligence in updating. I promise to be more prompt next time! :D  
**


	19. The Show

**A/N: Wow! Thank you guys so much for sticking with me!! Your surprise is now done, so read to the end to find out what it is!!! ;)**

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_Boom. Boom, boom._

The music thrummed through Caitlyn's body as she looked up and saw the audience for the first time. She swallowed, and froze temporarily before her mind hissed, _"Raise your arms!"_ just as the bar struck the proper note. _"Remember, look like a fairy stretching her wings."_ Caitlyn slowly raised her arms, letting the sleeves of her costume catch the light. She allowed her arms to flutter down to her sides as she sucked in her breath. She could do this!

She slowly swung her back leg around to rest against her other foot so that she could get ready. _"5, 6, 7, 8,"_ she chanted, and then swung her leg up as the dance began.

"_Hop, hop, step, step…"_ her brain whispered to her as she moved through the dance, feeling her muscles stretch familiarly to accommodate the patterns. _"Keep on the music. Watch your steps. Caitlyn, smile!"_ Caitlyn managed to obey and even made her smile appear genuine.

Her feet began to remember their natural rhythm as they swept across the floor and she used that to her advantage, letting her body use its nervous adrenaline to pour on the speed and fly across the stage, dancing the second part of the dance with more gusto than before. The tempo swelled and Caitlyn whirled around just as the lights on the stage began to flash wildly and the drums in the music began pounding. Caitlyn's own heart was pounding just as hard, but the strenuous dancing was not the reason. She spun again on the balls of her feet and began dancing towards the wings of the stage, knowing exactly what was coming next.

And then he was there, flying out of the opposite wings just as she disappeared from view. She whirled around as soon as the audience couldn't see her and watched him closely, barely acknowledging the congratulations from the tech crew. In short, Nathaniel Grey looked terrible. Oh, not on the outside. On the outside, he looked very handsome, but his eyes and his face showed a very different story. He looked sad, listless, and though his steps held a lot of energy, Caitlyn realized that he didn't mean a step of it.

She watched as he moved across the stage powerfully, commanding the attention of everyone in the audience, everyone but her. Couldn't they see how he seemed to look disdainfully at the stage, at the audience, and sometimes, at the wings where Tess was supposed to appear? Couldn't they tell that he no longer cared what happened to this show? Didn't it show?

But then she realized that she knew Nate Grey better than most people did. Where she saw a miserable young man, they only saw a boy nervous to be performing for a bid at a world tour. Someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Ten seconds," the stage tech said.

Caitlyn nodded. "Thanks," she said nervously, knowing that Nate would see her for the first time as soon as she stepped out into that spotlight with him.

The tech shook his head. "No, thank you," he said quickly. "Nate's been awful to work with since you've been gone." He patted her on the shoulder. "Go!"

Without another thought, Caitlyn strolled out of the wings, her steps easily matching the rhythm of the song. She crossed over to Nate and saw him tense up as he expected Tess to tap him on the shoulder. However, when Caitlyn tapped him, he turned to look at her and his face showed such shock that he almost forgot to twirl her and begin their fast paced set together.

She felt the power and the passion flow back through him as he literally swept her across the floor, their long legs carrying them around the stage as one. Together, they danced through the rest of the song, and as the music wound down, Nate took her hand and twirled her, something they had not practiced, but something that seemed so right. She ended up twirled into his arms just as the music ended and applause was heard out in the audience.

They waited until the curtain went down before Nate tugged her to the wings so that the next set of dancers could get ready. As soon as they were backstage, he whirled on her. "What are you doing here?" he cried, but his tone held no reproach, only disbelief.

Caitlyn shrugged and grinned up at him. "I had a chance of heart and mind," she told him, and then sobered. "I'm not happy with how you failed to mention the tiny little detail of a world tour to me, but I can sort of see why you did. And after Jen explained that you really didn't include me as part of the bet, it was just a matter of sucking up my pride and coming back." She smiled up at him. "So…will you dance with me?"

Nate gave a genuine laugh and pulled her into a tight hug. "Absolutely," he whispered against her hair. They stood there for a long moment before he sighed. "I thought I'd kill Tess if she tried to dance with me one more time."

Caitlyn laughed and then bit her lip. "Yeah, she's not exactly happy with me and Jen."

"Why?"

Caitlyn blushed. "Well, we kind of stole my costume back and, um, didn't tell her."

Nate laughed again. "Remind me to give Jen a raise," he said amiably. "Maybe Tess'll leave for good!"

Jennifer ran up at that moment, interrupting their talk. "Good," she huffed when she was them smiling. "Glad you made up. Now I need to steal Caitlyn away. She's got to get changed."

Nate took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I'll be waiting," he promised Caitlyn, a twinkle in his eyes.

Caitlyn blushed, but didn't argue or dispute him. "See you then," she promised.

* * *

The show lasted almost two hours, and by the time it was over, the dancers were exhausted, many of them stumbling into the wings to fall on their water bottles and vitamin waters. Tess was nowhere to be seen, and no one wanted to jinx their good luck by asking where she was. Caitlyn relaxed against Nate's chest and asked quietly, so that the other dancers couldn't hear, "What'll happen now?"

Nate shrugged, but his shoulders were tense, and his heart was pounding against her ear. "Don't know," he said truthfully. "I guess we relax and wait to hear from Tyler."

Caitlyn bit her lip, afraid to voice the question that she knew must be on both of their minds. "What will you do if we don't win?"

Nate was silent for a long time, and Caitlyn was afraid for a moment that she had upset him. However, he finally spoke. "I'll have to give up competing and touring. He can't make me stop dancing now, not while I have you with me, but I can't do anything important again." He gave her a squeeze. "I suppose it could work out though. You know how much I like music, and my two brothers have this band called Connect 2 Music. They've offered to let me join and make it Connect 3." He shrugged. "Maybe I'll take them up on it."

Caitlyn swallowed and voiced another question. "Will you let me come and watch you sometimes?"

Nate kissed the top of her head, and she was instantly reminded of the kiss they had shared onstage, rather more exuberant than they had intended it to be. "I can only hope that you'll always be there," he told her honestly.

Caitlyn hugged him, relief flowing through her. "Always," she promised.

Just then, a hush rushed through the room. There, in the doorway, stood Tyler.

And his face was completely unreadable.

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**A/N: IMPORTANT!!!!! If you don't read any other A/N's, read this one!! I've put together a video for you guys so that you can understand what I'm talking about in this chapter, since a lot of you don't know much about Irish dancing. The music's slightly off to my steps, but it's pretty close, close enough to give you the idea! I really hope you guys like it, so pop on over to my profile to check it out. The link is at the top of the page. Also, please review and then leave a comment on the vid. Picky, aren't I?? Thank you, thank you, thank you!!**


	20. THE END

**A/N: AH! Last chapter, everyone**. **:( I hope you enjoy it though!**

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The room went completely still. Caitlyn caught her breath in her throat, and Nate tensed next to her as Tyler began to walk towards them. Nate rose, pulling Caitlyn up with him, and for a moment, she wasn't sure if her legs would support her. She swallowed, and her throat suddenly felt tight. As Tyler came to stand before them, every eye was on the pair of young men, one nervous, the other unreadable. "Well?" Nate finally asked, and Caitlyn detected the edgy tone in his voice.

Tyler bit his lip for a moment and then held out his hand to Nate. "Congratulations," he said hollowly. "You'd better get some intense workshops set up. You're going on tour."

Cheers erupted from the dancers, and they jumped up, running around to hug friends and spread the news to the few others that were not in the wings. Caitlyn and Nate, however, just gazed silently at Tyler for a while before Nate asked, "So that's that?"

Tyler nodded stiffly. "That's it."

As he turned to walk away, Nate hesitated and then called him back. "Tyler!" When Tyler was once again standing in front of him, Nate shifted, trying to get the words out. "I hate what you did," he said finally, making that very clear, "but I don't want to just see you disappear. You're a great dancer."

Tyler shrugged, obviously embarrassed on both accounts. "You're better," he finally said, "and I don't need your pity."

"I'm not offering you my pity," Nate assured him, and then cast a glance at Caitlyn. "I wouldn't have beat you without this girl right here." He slid an affectionate arm around Caitlyn's waist. "Tell you what, you've wanted to start a school for a while, right?"

Tyler nodded suspiciously. "Yeah," he said.

"Then start your school," Nate encouraged. "Teach them to be just as good as you, but don't ever teach them to steal other schools' ideas." Tylet blushed a deep red, and that was when Nate realized that his friend was truly sorry. He placed a hand on Tyler's shoulder and grinned. "See you at Worlds."

Tyler seemed to recognize the change in his friend and some of his tension eased as he gave Nate a gentle push. "In your dreams, Nate."

"Mm, yes," Nate said, waving as Tyler left the wing. "In my dreams."

Caitlyn hugged him, moved by his sacrifice. If he had just left the bet the way it was, Tyler would never have been seen again, but Nate had given him permission to teach, knowing that Tyler's students would end up competing alongside his own. She hadn't expected that of him, and she was incredibly relieved. Would Tyler have done the same? Who knew, but at this moment, Nate had definitely been seen as the better person. "I'm glad you did that," she said aloud.

Nate nodded. "It was harder than I thought it would be."

Caitlyn nodded. "I'm sure. For a while, he took everything away from you. I can't imagine that."

Nate shook his head, "No, I meant dancing for that long." He cast a sideways glance at Caitlyn and they both laughed, their bodies finally releasing all of the pent up tension and fear that they had carried with them for the last few weeks.

Caitlyn moved into his arms and he dipped his head to kiss her. When he pulled back, Caitlyn ran her fingers through his hair and whispered, "We did it."

Nate rested his chin atop her head and breathed a sigh. They _had_ done it. Together. The teacher that would never make it and the student who had no idea what she was doing. They had succeeded against all odds, and even the dirtiest of tricks could not keep them apart for too long when they had such wonderful friends. And as he noticed the Gellar family making their way backstage, looks of pride etched on every single one of their faces, including Caitlyn's dad, Nate knew that Caitlyn herself had triumphed over another obstacle.

The plain one of the bunch had become their star.

* * *

"Look at me! I can stand on my toes!" a little girl proudly announced, looking down her nose at the other children, now a head shorter than her, with a small amount of disdain.

"Not until you're twelve," Caitlyn announced, swooping in and lift the little girl off the points of her hard shoes.

"Why?"

The whine grated on Caitlyn's nerves but she only responded cheerfully, "Because if you don't wait, the little bones in your toes will get pushed back into your heels, and then you won't be able to dance."

The children squealed and the little girl put her hands on her hips. "Gross! That won't happen to me. Don't you know who I am?"

"_Unfortunately,"_ Caitlyn thought. "Of course," she said aloud, willing herself to add a bit of a teasing tone to her voice instead of taking this girl over her knee for a good spanking. "You're Tasha, Tess Tyler's little girl. "But you know what? Even your mommy waited until she was twelve."

Tasha seemed to hesitate for a moment before tossing her head back. "Fine. If my mommy waited, then I suppose I can wait too."

"Glad to hear it," Caitlyn drawled. She felt a little hand curl around her thigh and she looked down to see a curly, brown-haired little girl smiling up at her.

"Mommy, mommy, come look what Nathan can do!" she cried.

Caitlyn scooped her daughter, Lynn, up in her arms. "Alright, what can Nathan do?"

The little boy, almost a carbon copy of the girl in her arms, grinned up at her. "Look, mommy!" With a great heave, he jumped as high as he could go, flinging his legs out in front of him. As he switched his legs in the air, Caitlyn heard the distinct sound of his heels clicking together. When he landed, he grinned up at her proudly. "I can do it every time!" he announced excitedly.

Caitlyn felt her own rush of pride flow through her, and she set her daughter down in order to hug her little boy. "That's wonderful, darling," she told him, running and hand through his sweaty brown curls. "Go show your father." She gave him a pat on his bottom and sent him off, listening to him calling for his father halfway across the massive studio that Nate now owned and operated along with playing in his brothers' band, now called Connect 3.

With a laugh, she clapped her hands. "Alright everyone, treble jigs one more time!"

* * *

"I heard the good news," Nate said half an hour later, grinning down at Caitlyn as she laced up her ghellies.

Caitlyn returned the grin. "Isn't that something? We haven't even taught them that yet."

Nate pulled himself up and wiped authoritatively at an imaginary piece of dirt by his collar of his t-shirt. "I told you that our children would be the best," he teased.

Caitlyn laughed and started on her second shoe. "Yes, well, I think Lynn's more like me. More grace than footwork skills. You know that I still can't click on command."

Nate shrugged. "Lynn has time. We haven't pushed either of them, and look how well they're doing. They're better than Tasha!"

Caitlyn looked mock alarmed. "For heaven's sake, don't tell her that! Don't you know who she _i**s**_?"

Nate pulled her up from the floor and held her close. "Mmhm, she's the little brat that gives my poor wife trouble every week."

Caitlyn laughed. "I'm not exactly sure that she'd be too pleased with that! I think she was going along the lines of "daughter of a world champion," or something like that."

Nate shrugged. "No matter. Tess told me that Tyler's studio is advancing much faster than mine, so she's pulling Tasha out after this month."

Caitlyn sighed, annoyed all over again with Tess. "Thank goodness! Now he can deal with her horrid trebles!"

Nate chuckled and pulled her flush against his body, growing serious. "Well, Mrs. Grey, will you dance with me?" His eyes twinkled as he gazed down at her.

Caitlyn instantly forgot about little Tasha Tyler. "Is this for the new tour, or just because?" she asked, tracing circles on his broad shoulders.

He bent his head and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Just because."

Caitlyn pressed a kiss of her own to his lips. "I'd love to," she whispered.

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**A/N: How was that? I really hope you guys enjoyed it, and thank you so much for every single one of your amazing reviews! :D Please give me one more round of them!**


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